Diana and Caine
by lollipop-mania
Summary: Diana and Caine's story before The FAYZ and during- rated M for sex and language
1. The Encounter

**My first one, be nice. **

**do not own.**

* * *

Eyeing the uniform she glared. Yes, schoolgirl uniforms were hot. There wasn't much denying that. And Diana had one of those bodies that was rounder in the hips and fit a uniform like that oh-so-well. Thus it wasn't the uniform itself that made her cringe. It was the colouring of the clothing- the white shirt and burgundy blazer were two colors that made her already white face seem pasty and sickly.

Diana had never bothered with her looks, and she didn't want to start now. But, it seemed she would have to. Until she got some sun on her skin that is. So sighing, Diana took her foundation out of the sole suitcase she had shelped to California, and what became a morning ritual for the next month.

It was her first day back at the school since Christmas vacation- and skiing in the alps hadn't down much to help her skin. But that wasn't the only reason Diana was worried. She had seen him entering the school only a few minutes before, and already he had her excited.

It wasn't something in the way he walked, or the way he held his luggage. It wasn't the way he had pulled down his shirtsleeves soon after exiting the town car, shielding away what she could tell was a finely muscled forearm. No, none of that was what initially drew her to Caine Soren.

It was the way he had looked when he first saw the school. He had looked up by the window she was staring out of, but he didn't see her. Instead, shielding his eyes form the sun, he appraised the school with hardly a glance. His look was neither approving, nor disapproving, and with that- Diana was attached.

She had been in Liza Corcoran's room, watching out the window for when the girl might arrive and kick Diana out. But Diana couldn't help it: Liza had a massive flatscreen in her room. But instead of the thin blonde coming out of that black, fashioned car, he had come out, in all his glory. Five minutes later, and Diana was out of the shower and in her own bedroom.

She got dressed and inspected herself again. Maybe she was getting ready for nothing. Coates Academy, as a reform school, meant that all the students had done something horribly wrong in their past. This made for badly behaved boys, and bitchy girls, though all were very secretive, they all seemed trusting, an onlooker would see Coates as an average elite boarding school minus the smiling of the children.

She watched him from the stairwell, the maintenance man taking the boys luggage over to his room. He must have been around her age, maybe a bit older. He was handsome, she was first to admit that. There were other boys here whom Diana had hung around with, older and more mature boys than the ones in her grade. But although he seemed her age, the wisdom in his eyes surpassed that of the faculty.

His hair was a warm brown, and he kept it fashioned around is jawline. Now she was drawn to face. His jaw and chin were hard and sculpted, the cheek bones prominent without being hollow. If Diana was ever jealous of something, it was cheekbones. They were the one feature that she envied, although they probably would have looked odd with her round face.

The eyes were something else. Dark, mysterious, resolute, and yet so….passionate. Yes, his body was obviously nice, his lips were perfectly formed, and his hair probably soft to the touch- but none of these things interested people like Caine's eyes did. She felt her knees buckle as he swept them over the stairs, not seeing her as she ducked out of sight.

Though he was barely thirteen, as she would find out later, he walked through that entryway with possessed power, stopping the kids who were around him in their tracks.

As he spoke to the Dean, Diana made her plan of attack. She wanted him, badly. Not as a lover or as a friend, but as an ally. But he would have to make the first move. Something Caine ended up being awful at.

She walked past him as he came out of the office and up the stairs. He stopped, she followed suit.

He looked into her eyes for a good few minutes, before he appraised her the way men size girls up: staring at her shoes slowly, before making his way up. It was that kind of look that made a girl feel naked. She tugged at her skirts a bit, her eyes never leaving his. But then finally, she broke it. Moving away and down the hall without so much as a word.

Imagine, Diana thought to herself, a boy making me blush? I would have thought it impossible.

* * *

He watched as she disappeared around a corner. He pictured her again. She was looking at him funny, like she saw it in him. She was looking at him like she knew what he had done. Like she knew he was a freak.

He had been looking at her for a different reason. As a teenager with raging hormones, the need to have sex with anything moving was obvious. And though this was the reason he had for stopping to admire her beauty, it was not the reason he had remained standing as the cocked ticked. No, it was because of that look she gave him.

It was because she looked at him like she knew, and yet she didn't turn around with disgust. If anything, she was looked at him like she wanted him. And he knew it took certain type of woman to be able to meet his gaze with equal intensity.

His first girlfriend had said something to him once, after they broke up when he had told her he met someone else. That wasn't exactly true. He hadn't fallen for anyone else, he had just had his tongue down a _few _other girls throats. But she had said something to him anyways, something that stuck: 'who is she? Let me guess, tall, blonde, and willing?'

He had decided then that that was his type. There was truth in it, all of his hook-ups, which were quite astounding for a boy his age, were with tall, blonde, and easy girls.

But he knew this girl was the complete opposite. For starters, she wasn't tall, nor short really, and she most certainly wasn't blonde, but she also wasn't willing. That was easy enough to tell. That was the reason he had stopped on the stairs. He was so taken aback for the amount of lust he had for her when she was contradictory to his sexual appetite.

But all his lust had vanished the moment she met his gaze. Now, there was only fascination and interest. He wanted to, no needed to, find out all about this girl. Who she was, where she came from, what did she know about him?

A young woman was standing by him trying to show him to his room. He had requested a single, and when denied, had previously scared his roommate into leaving before even coming onto the campus.

Coates had been a mistake his parents had so willingly made. Not that he wanted to stay with them, leaving was his biggest hope, but reform school, really? He knew he was a bad child. From what had occurred last week, he seemed to be a freak too. Some sort of supernatural mutant. But Caine was other things too: he was powerful, scary powerful, and he knew Coates Academy was just a crappy testing ground for his power.

After a moment of staring at the place she had recently been standing he regained his cool and let the attendant on his right guide him to his new room. It was empty minus the white bed that took up over half of it. He dropped his leather suitcase and stalked over to the window to gaze at the already setting sun.

* * *

Coates was a school made up of bullies there were the lesser ones to the bullies that bullied the bullies. And she was on top of that. No one really messed with her. The older girls sometimes gave her dirty looks in the halls, but she didn't care. She coasted by easily on her looks. When she became bored, she would get students to fail tests or teachers to fail students. And when she was in a good mood, she didn't do anything and kept to herself, sometimes going days without talking to anyone.

The week Caine arrived was one of those weeks where she was in a good mood. It was Saturday, and she was still gliding by without talking to anyone, even the Caine, the new boy who had fascinated the whole school within an hour of is arrival.

They hadn't said a word, or even met gazes since that first encounter.

But she had known him to look at her in class sometimes and vice-versa.

Even the annoying Dekka had noticed. "He's checking you out, girl," she had said the day before during history.

Remembering the moment, Diana smirked, a smirk that hardly left her face these days. This particular Saturday Diana had awoken late hoping to not be bothered while she showered. The kids were probably all out at the beach enjoying the day off.

She was just walking out of the steam when she saw that Caine kid leaning against the tile staring at her. She glared at him, careful not to let her emotions into her voice. She did the deed well, sounding light and breezy, "can I help you with something?"

She glided toward the mirror. His dark eyes followed her. She undid the ivory towel in her hair and let her wet locks cascade down her shoulders, if he was going to look, at least give him something to look at. She saw a smile hint his lips, but his voice remained steady and his eyes firm "I came to ask you the same question."

Diana looked at him in the mirror, standing behind her he raised his brows. She was mesmerized by those eyes, and she had to pause to even think of the words while those eyes bore into hers.

"There is nothing I need from you, but if your lame excuse to see your first naked girl is ruined because I won't make out with you in the shower, well then I'm sorry to disappoint." She mentally congratulated herself for coming up with a witty comment while in such a compromising situation. She would need to get better hold on her emotions when with Caine in the future.

Now he just laughed out loud. Before she knew it he was a foot behind her, "Sorry to ruin your judgment of my actions but I came to ask for a favor". She gathered her hair into a knot, squeezing out excess water into the basin in front of her.

"I don't do favors". Before she knew it he grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him, turning her around so their faces were inches apart.

"Who's to say I wouldn't return the favor?" he said darkly, his breath hitting her face.

After a moment she exhaled. "What do you want?"

The moment was not sexy, as it would have seemed. It was scary. He had really scared her.

"I want you to help me."

"Help you?"

"Take control of the school."

"Excuse me?"

"Lemme show you something"

Caine grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door. She yanked her arm away. "I'm naked!" He gave a small smile and blushed, "fine, go get dressed I'll meet you in the library in fifteen minutes"

And with that, although she was scared out of her mind, Diana became friends with Caine.


	2. Stepping Stone

Diana threw her books in her bag.

Chemistry was her least favorite subject, and of course Mr. Bourgar had to ask to speak to her after class.

This was unusual for Diana, normally teachers stayed as far away from her as possible. Though honestly Mr. Bourgar scared her. Not in the sense of actually hurting her, but he was scary in a weird and creepy way.

Well quite frankly, the most accurate description of Mr. Bourgar was this: he was scary in the way some science teachers _are. _

His thinning gray hair was always plastered against his fat sweaty forehead, and during class he glared at Diana with his black beady eyes.

He creeped everyone out.

So today, forced into meting with him, Diana put on her bitch face and strutted up to her teacher with all the sexiness she could muster. From there she went out of her way to mock him with her beauty. A big mistake. As he flustered to speak she pouted her lips. Mr. Bourgar managed to tell her that her lab had not quite worked. Normally he would have let it go, Coates Academy did not always have the most diligent pupils, so why was he bothering her now?

Probably 'cause I make him ache, Diana thought placidly.

Mr. Bourgar turned off the light switch in the wall and walked over to Diana's lab station. When she started to show him her work she suddenly felt his presence behind her.

Diana felt it in slow motion: Mr. Bourgar reached up Diana's skirt over her smooth thigh, and just stayed there, whispering. "Diana, you are going fail this class if that lab is not done…_correctly._"

She tensed and tried to pull away. Diana was strong, but did not have combat skills. Her fight was mental, and now physical with Caine on her side.

Since he had showed her his power, they had been learning more and more about it. He had also started hurting people when Diana got annoyed by them. Now the whole school knew to both fear and revere them. They were an invincible pair.

But right now, she was alone, and feeling completely defeated. Yes, invincible indeed.

Now as her teacher put his fat sweaty hand up her skirt and around her ass Diana felt scared.

But then he squeezed her butt, she felt herself begin to relax, to process the situation in a way Diana Ladris only could. After all, she _did _have a reputation to uphold. And let's face it; although adults always deny it, the most important thing in high school _is _your social status.

Okay, well Diana wasn't exactly in high school yet. She wasn't even thirteen until next week, but she did value her standing as if she were already a teenager. She processed the situation and knew the best thing was to scream, but that showed weakness. Diana might be able to injure him enough to get away, but that also showed fear. She needed to be sly, not have the whole school know she had been violated.

She decided the best way to avoid rape was get out and find Caine. Luckily he found her.

Seeing him gave her courage and dominance.

Diana threw back her heel and felt the wood of her clogs hit his knee. Then her blazer-clad elbow splattered with blood as she broke her chemistry teacher's nose.

Diana tried to give him a wicked smile before turning to walk out of the door. Caine stood in the doorway; his face perfectly emotionless.

She was angry with him. Angry with him for not helping her, angry that there was no clear emotion on his behalf, angry that she was so pitiful she had needed to see him to get the power to get away from Mr. Bourgar.

But more than that, she felt hurt. She felt sick. She felt violated.

And as she watched his tall, broad-shouldered, god-like form in the doorway, she swayed.

* * *

Normally Diana would be in his room now, lying on his bed while they both silently imagined him ravishing her. But instead, they would work on their ideas and plans for Coates Academy.

Caine looked at his watch. Her last class had ended some time ago. She must be manipulating some stupid teacher or student. Caine always liked it when Diana got dirty, and didn't just make him do it. He shut down his laptop and locked his door.

As Caine made his way up to the third landing he felt Diana's presence. This was a new power they both had and some of the others at Coates were starting to develop.

He was amazed to discover that she was still in chemistry. He knew she disliked that class, and for good reason. He had once seen Diana's teacher watch her as she left his bedroom.

He remembered the night fondly, as he had first used his power to lift another human. She had let him practice on her, and though he could only lift her an inch off the ground, by the time they were done both of them were sweaty and disheveled. He remembered unlocking his door and leading Diana out, touching her lower back. He had also seen her teacher in the hallway shadows, watching them, eyes alight. He didn't mention it to her though, not then, not ever.

Caine glided to the end of the hallway and walked into the classroom.

What he saw at first hurt him. He noted the desperation in the teacher's eye as he nudged his body towards Diana's. She looked so innocent standing by her lab station, while this man was plotting to violate her.

Caine stood still ready to kill this man the moment he put his hands on her. But the instant it happened he fell back into his own ego. She saw him, her dark eyes gleaming. He wanted Diana to make him proud.

And she did.

A few moments passed as ideas flashed through her eyes. Caine leaned against the doorway expressionless. Diana kicked and elbowed Mr. Whatshisname and then gave off that infamous cute smirk Caine so often dreamed about.

Then she turned to Caine, watching him with unreadable emotion.

Caine turned to the perp and smiled. A big, gay, sly smile. The man shivered, but got his cue to stay silent, as Caine walked over to Diana, removed her blazer and lazily eyed the blood. She had made her teacher bleed.

A lot.

Caine looked up at her and their gazes met. But he broke it quickly.

"We need to get this washed up. Come Diana..."

They left Mr. Bourgar there, scared and anxious for what was to come next.

**_

* * *

_**

_**I do NOT own GONE, but the story has inspired me! **_

_**REVIEW**_


	3. Revenge of the Fitest

_Her oak colored hair tousled and swayed against her bare back enticingly, making him cling to the sheets to this newfound lust._

_Her profile showed a hint of amusement as she glanced behind her left shoulder, her lips twitched a slight smile. Her eyes glinted and she blinked. He knew she laughed when nervous._

_Her shoulder blades rolled moving some hair to show a freckle below her neck. His eyes clouded over with need. _

_Caine pulled his white sheets from the bed and walked up to her. Resisting the urge to touch every inch of her smooth skin. He wanted to take her, that instant, but he dared not. Not until he told her._

_He pulled the linen around them, entwining. His hands brushed her breasts and she made a small sound._

_She turned to face him. Naked skin pressed onto naked skin. She reached up and brushed her fingers over his lips. He suppressed a moan as his body stiffened and he erection became evident._

_Her pink lips replaced fingers. It was a soft kiss, but not for long. He wrapped his arm around her waist and snuggled even closer; if that was possible. His rough tongue traced her jaw and down her collarbone, scratching little circles._

_She groaned and he pushed her onto the bed. She shivered under his touch, his hands exploring her body. He stopped and rested his elbows by her head. She felt the loss of his lips and opened her eyes, searching for an explanation. He just smiled, moving her legs apart with his knee._

_"I love you, Diana." He breathed, wanting nothing more that to remain in this bed for eternity. Her soft expression changed to one of hate and pity._

_Taken aback, he gasped._

_She smirked and laughed at him._

Caine woke with a start. Sitting up, his sheets had fallen off the bed and sweat gathered on his brow. He had had this nightmare recurring almost a week now.

Ever since he had seen Diana almost raped.

He breathed deeply, praying the images from his mind. He didn't care if the feeling of her body never came back, as long as the feeling of helplessness disappeared along with it.

He lay back. Sleep didn't come. He sat up.

His eyes squinted; there was a light on down the hall. Caine stood and walked over to his dresser. Sleeping only in his briefs, Caine grabbed a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a gray t-shirt.

He turned to glance around his room, noticing the window open. Someone was here. Without hesitation he knew it was Diana, she had often come to his room lately; she had had trouble sleeping as well, and had randomly been wondering through the corridors of Coates at night to appease that.

She had been sneaking, never realizing that Caine was often awake as well. He didn't bother her though.

He knew Mr. Bourgar's harassment had messed with her, it would anyone.

She was strong, more than anyone else he knew, but she couldn't shake this.

Though being Diana she didn't show any sign of pain. After the attack they had taken her to Mrs. Temple's office and gotten her checked for any cuts.

Caine threw out her bloody blazer and bought her a new one at the school shop while she was with the nurse. That weird, watchful nurse.

Diana had been quiet, but she was not one to talk unless she had something to say. She showed no weakness, and he had thought she was fine.

That was until he felt her weight at the end of his bed. Instinct had told him to not move, but curiosity caused him to open his eyelids. He had recognized her silhouette immediately.

She had come by for a few minutes each night before walking down the hall more. She never mentioned this to him during the day, and he never confronted her.

Caine slipped out of his room, his cashmere slippers padding down the hall.

Suprisingly, the light source came from the new kid's room. His name was Jake or Jack. Caine didn't really care enough to find out. But then again, this kid was supposedly some kind of computer genius.

He could be useful, Caine knew. But that would have to wait, not that it mattered, everyone followed Caine without a choice, it was a given.

Caine passed by the room without alerting the kid.

He walked towards the center of the Academy, the one room that divided the East Wing from the West.

Student dorms were held on the bottom floors, classes on the top few. In a seven story the building the lazier students stayed in shape by having to walk from class to class.

The girl's rooms were on the East wing, boys-West. Caine's was at the very end of the first floor corridor; Diana's was two floors above, in the middle of her wing. The center area, also known as the entryway, was a grand room surrounded by two staircases leading up to each floor. The top was a dome ceiling filled by a huge chandelier.

It looked like some cheesy version of Daddy Warbuck's Mansion.

Caine walked up to the second floor, and then stood over the railing and looked up to where Diana surely was sleeping. By now she had to be asleep.

The lights in the dining room were always left on, as well as a lamp in the commons, across from the dining room. These were the only lights illuminated, casting shadows across the entryway.

Caine listened to an owl howl, running his hands through his hair.

He walked up the stairs and wandered into the East Wing. A crack of light under the bathroom allowed him to see. He walked towards it as he heard a whimper.

He listened as someone turned on a showerhead. Caine slowly opened the door; his guard up. He heard someone hit a wall. Listening, he realized that only one person was in the showers. Convinced it was Diana, he walked through the door to the running shower.

Undisturbed he peaked through the white and burgundy curtain, school colors, classy.

Diana sat against the tiled wall, letting the water pelt down the head. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, her naked body shivering even under the hot water. She looked at the floor, him watching her sculpted profile. Sections of wet hair fell around his face and down her shoulders and back, slipping around her arms and knees. He noticed how her skin was red as the water slapped it, her noticed the way her breasts were crushed against her knees, not giving him much of a view to anything.

But then his hormones came to a halt when he noticed that she was crying. Suddenly embarrassed, he left.

* * *

Diana looked up. She had been too caught up to realize Caine outside the shower.

She had valued this idea of presence, of knowing he was there. But then that gift had disappeared, and she hadn't been able to it again. Maybe it was her power, sensing people.

She had fancied the idea previously, but nowadays she sometimes thought that somewhere, somehow, her power had disappeared.

Regardless, she knew he had seen her, seen her like this, a wimpy girl. She could tell Caine had been there.

He must hate her, feel betrayed by her childlike behavior. It wasn't like she had actually been raped. And hell, she had gotten enough revenge. Humiliated by herself, Diana shut her eyes and willed the scorching water to take off the pain.

* * *

Harry Bourgar was finally conscious. He woke up to see an old woman in a scrub uniform leaning over him.

_Shit. I'm in the hospital._

He searched his memory for an explanation. He tried to talk, but his mouth refused to move.

A grin spread on the woman's face. She said something into a small speaker near his bed and Harry heard a new person walk in. His head could not move to see them.

His sister walked over to his bed. Shauna hadn't said a word to him in at least 5 years, not since the birth of her youngest son. She looked at him with worry in her eye. Slowly he felt her arms hug him.

She must have sensed his question. "You fell, down a staircase at your school," she hesitated. "You suffered some head trauma, you've been in a coma for several days, but the doctors say you will recover soon enough…"

She paused, but he blinked, urging her to continue, "They don't know how it happened. Witnesses saw you walking down from your class and suddenly out of the blue you flew headfirst down an oak and marble staircase. It's amazing you're still able to move your upper body. Well at least you will be soon. "

She turned her face away, "your legs were not so lucky".

He blinked.

"Your paralyzed, Harry"


	4. Bonfire Nights

**Disclaimer: Writersblock14- I never thought of Drake and Diana before, but we do know they must of had some sort of history! Romantical or otherwise, so though it's not what you asked, here is a bit of how they started. **

**P.S. worst chapter ever.**

**

* * *

**

_She moans, he keeps pace, biting her shoulder to resist climax. She gasps as his teeth bite her skin, she throws her arms around his back, caressing, touching, grabbing him and bringing him impossibly close to her chest. She never wants to let him go. _

_She screams his name as her orgasm rocks through her body, almost knocking him aside. He smiles, hoping that maybe…just maybe, he will be able to last until she comes again, for the third time._

Caine woke up from his early sleep. He looked at his bedside clock. Not even nine. The sun was set, it was dark out, and he was wide awake. So he did what any normal man would do. Took a cold shower, and then went to find his girl.

Okay, maybe not so normal.

* * *

Diana sat on her bed finishing her homework.

Life was good, she was…happy? Well, frankly, she was.

She had stopped hazing the new science teacher in doing so, has manipulated her into giving Diana half the homework the rest of class was assigned.

Diana got up and stretched. It was a Friday night, which meant no classes tomorrow and basic free time.

Deciding she needed some fresh air, Diana changed out of her uniform into jeans and a large blackish sweater she had stolen from her father a few years back. Slipping on hiking boots, Diana applied more make-up than usual, and finally concluded that she was ready to go out.

Heading down the stairs she stalked into Dean Maribor's office. She wrote down a note for him and passed it to Ms. Lewis, the young secretary who should honestly get a life and out of this shithole excuse for a school.

Diana had had her father write a pass for her to go out on an excursion whenever necessary. There wasn't really a point to it though. Where would Diana go once she left campus? Town? Ha!

The November air hit her with a cool breeze. Perdido Beach never got cold.

Diana walked off towards the campus gates, which were about a mile away. Suddenly jumpy, Diana began to run.

After pondering the reason for leaving, Diana decided to head for the cliff. She walked along the edge and down towards the beach.

A bonfire glowed in the distance. Ah, yes, that was why she had felt a need to come down here.

She decided to go walk their way, counting the beach ended not a hundred yards the other direction.

Some kids at Coates had parties. They were stupid and usually consisted of about 10 kids, hardly what she considered a "party".

This time, a short little redhead named Briana had invited Diana. Out of the thirty or so times kids had done these over the past three years Diana was a Coates, not once had she accepted the invitation.

She sighed, "well, there is a first time for everything" she said to herself.

There was one party a few months ago. An end of summer vaction party, and Diana and Caine had gone. Actually, he had asked her to go.

Normally, Diana would have laughed at the idea. Was it odd to say that she had missed him over the summer, and that being with him, even if it was at party, seemed like a good idea?

The party had been complete shit though. It had ended with Caine and her getting in a fight about something he had said.

Sometimes they fought, and usually she won, Caine gave in. But if the fight were over something serious, Caine always won. Not matter what. Because Diana had seen what he could do, and she had to admit, though with much resistance: Caine was more powerful than her.

Anyways, the fight was stupid, and the night resulted in Diana sucking face with some senior while Caine did the same with said senior's sister. Classy, they knew it.

The party had been stupid. Kids hung around, talking, doing whatever drugs they could get their hands on.

And that was a rule with Diana: ever since she hadn't noticed Caine in the shower last spring, her guard was never down.

She knew his was the same way.

Diana sat in the sand, watching the sun begin to disappear over the sea.

Suddenly lonely, Diana decided to go join the fire. She walked the remaining half-mile and sat down on an empty towel. A few kids looked at her and turned away. Some even tried to talk, but after Diana stared them down, they quit their movements.

Finally, Diana shut her eyes, lying down and letting the music of somebody's ipod and the voices of her peers calm her.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. Sure enough, said senior's sister, Liza Corcoran was sitting on towel beside Diana.

"Hey, Diana", Liza, said senior's sister, said.

Diana opened her eyes and sat up, smirking, "Liza."

Liza was pretty, but in a much different way than Diana. She was the blonde, tan, ski-slope nose, and blue-eyed kind of girl that is attractive yet so common.

"Is Caine here with you?" Liz asked, sipping her drink.

Diana remembered Caine fooling around with Liza a bit after the end of summer party. But that had ended badly. Diana wasn't sure what happened exactly, but she knew they ended with Caine telling Liza that she was basically a whore for him, as he had no real interest in her at all.

'Friends with benefits,' she had said, loud enough for Diana to hear while waiting outside the library for them to finish up.

'But you are not my friend' Caine had told her, no emotion or feeling in his voice.

Diana smiled at the memory. She actually sometimes liked Liza.

"Maybe" she said half-heartedly. Caine hadn't specified his whereabouts tonight.

She hadn't seen Caine for a few hours now, which these days seemed to be a record for her.

They had been so close these past few weeks. He was becoming her best…friend. Diana didn't recognize the word.

No, that was wrong. Friend wasn't it.

Just yesterday, she had been with him in the library as he practiced using his power. At which point she had reached up to grab a book. After all, she did have a test the next morning, he was only there to practice, not study.

She knew he was watching as she jumped to reach the book, her skirt flying up a bit.

Finally, 'which do you want?'

'The one with the brown cover' he lowered it for her, and she grabbed for it, but he quickly pulled it higher. She jumped for it again and he lowered it, before moving it to the right.

She turned to him and crossed her arms; 'I actually have work to do, if you aren't going to give it to me than I don't have time for this.' Then she sat down.

'Tense, are we?'

'Fuck off, Caine.'

He stood from his chair and walked over to her, beginning to massage her shoulders. 'I can tell you are stressed when you're puns get less and less creative.'

'I said: fuck off.'

He just smiled, 'fine, have it your way. But my door is open.'

He then moved back to his chair, sat down, and began flying books around the room as he had been doing for the past hour. It was as if nothing had changed, and yet Diana was caught staring at him, wondering what had just happened.

No, _friends_ wasn't exactly the right word.

She brushed her hair away from her face and stared. Someone caught her eye. They had come a long way since he first came to Coates last year. She smiled to herself. She remembered writing the word on his fucked up file, _sadist. _

It was true, Drake Merwin was nothing if not a psychotic sadist, but they had had a shaky start after that; which had proven difficult considering that he had quickly become Caine's third in command, and was beginning to rise in that position as well.

Since she had been stuck to move around Drake quite often these days, they had embarked on a mutual dislike of one another, but also a quiet mutual dislike. They did not argue or fight any more, resorting to the acknowledgment that they did indeed hate each other and nothing was going to change it.

She nodded politely at him, and he did the same across the fire, turning away from her. She watched Drake with a girl. He was handsome, she did notice that. She bet he would fuck that girl tonight, she seemed to be all over the fucking bastard.

After a few more minutes of being rude to people trying to strike up a conversation, Diana stood up ready to leave, but a wimpy girl named Taylor caught her arm.

"Wait, Ladris, we're just about to play truth or dare!"

"And that is my cue to leave" Diana snapped, pulling her arm back.

"Aw c'mon! It doesn't matter about your boyfriend. Really, Ladris, just 'cause your fucking Soren doesn't mean you can keep all these guys hot for you! Just kiss 'em and make their endless pain go away!"

Diana smirked, and was about to respond with something incredibly witty about their "endless pain" when Caine appeared from the shadows and responded.

"I am _not_ her boyfriend."

She stiffened at the harshness in his voice. The music was the only sound as the crowd became quiet. Caine stepped closer to her, "but she does know a thing or two about pain."

Caine touched her waist and kissed her on the cheek. She held her smirk though her mind raced at his implication.

Taylor stood mouth gaped with suck awe, she had been kidding about the sex comment, secretly though she had hoped Diana might confirm everyone's question as to her and Caine, but this! This was too much!

A smirk, and then a grin. A wide, eerie grin, as Drake spoke the words: "so, you'll both be playing then?"

Diana looked towards Caine who had stepped in front. She watched his stance, his developed shoulders strong. No one else might notice his emotions that way she did.

Yes. They were playing.

0000

"So, Diana, truth or dare?" A redhead girl the grade above them asked.

Diana didn't tell secrets, correction: she didn't tell her _own_ secrets, "Dare."

"Hmmm… well you have obviously kissed Caine, so now let's see who else is worth your beauty?" The redhead said sarcastically. Diana wondered what Caine was thinking as he watchd her. "I dare you…to kiss …Thomas."

Diana stood up, crossed the few feet to where the boy sat, and touched her lips to his softly. No tongue with strangers. She sat back down, sharing the towel with Caine.

"Okay" Diana said, crossing her legs, "Rebecca, truth or dare?"

The girl looked at Diana. "truth, I guess."

Diana beamed, "how exactly did you get sent to Coates? You tell everyone that you auctioned your grandmother's wedding ring on eBay, but I know for a fact that is not what your file says. So, _Becky_, what did you do?"

The girl froze, paralyzed with fear. "I- I stole money-"

"_No,_" Diana eased, "you didn't do anything _wrong, _Rebecca, you were just acting on…feelings, right? It's okay, we will understand."

"Y-you bitch!" Humiliated and on the verge of crying, Rebecca stood, and ran away.

Caine pulled Diana close and whispered in her ear.

"She slept with her twin brother" Diana answered him softly, smiling.

"I will take Rebecca's turn" someone said. It was the incest girl's best friend. "If that is okay?" She looked to the senior who was sort of running this game, and he nodded.

"Diana, truth or dare?"

Exasperated, Diana sighed, "Dare."

The girl smiled wickedly, "I dare you to kiss Drake." Payback.

Diana froze, shocked. Caine too, stiffened.

"Fine" Diana said, standing. Drake went over to her, and brought their lips together. Diana kept her mouth shut, but Drake didn't. He forced her lips apart, locking his arms around her waist so she couldn't let go. Diana knew that he was doing this to bother her, she knew he was getting no amount of sexual pleasure from kissing her, yet he kept at it, forcing his hand up her sweater. She banged at his chest, too taken aback to find an opening.

She didn't have to though. A fuming Caine had broken them apart.

He remained seated, watching intently, the sudden sandstorm blocking his view of the people.

"Fucking, Caine" Drake shouted, knowing it was he whom had created this event. Drake ran towards the rocks where most of the other people had headed.

Diana, on the other hand, ran towards Caine, blocking her face from the sand cutting into it.

"Caine, Jesus, I swear. _I am okay, Stop it!_"

Caine blocked the sand from hitting them, and used the remaining sand in the air to put out the bonfire. She lost track of the present, amazed at how much power he had been keeping from her.

He pulled her back to reality, grabbing her hair and pulling her face towards his. "I think I love you, Diana."

She didn't say anything, but stared at him, bewildered.

"I said: I love you."

She nodded slowly, "yeah I think I got that the first time."

He stood up, pushing her back at her blatant disregard for what he had just said.

"Get away from me." He said, the sand dying down. Then added, "Diana, I take it back. I don't think I love you, not yet anyways."

He walked away quickly, moving down the beach towards Coates. Diana drew in a breath, coughing at the dirt in her lungs. "You can't just take it back," she whispered.


	5. The Disappearance

"Are you fucking kidding me!" Dekka yelled loud enough for the rest of the classes to hear.

Computer Jack threw his hands up, exasperated.

Caine walked into the classroom followed by Diana. He looked around for a moment, eyeing Computer Jack for a few seconds before turning and leaving. Diana stayed.

"Well?" she asked Jack.

He straightened his glasses nervously. Diana sat on the arm of his chair and leaned forward, her long hair brushing the tips of his arms. Angsty, Jack jumped a bit.

He pointed to the computer, showing all the information he had gathered. "It looks like all adults have disappeared along with the older students. Scientifically it doesn't make any sense. But I see no other explanation."

He showed her his graphs and research, changing slides as he explained. "The only similarities among the rest of us happen to be that we are not yet fifteen. There are other things, like most of us have one sibling and the majority of the school has between five and ten letters in their last names, but none of these things are completely consistent with all of us, and none of them contradict why the other people have gone except the age difference."

"So you conclude that everyone who…didn't make the cut off, just got up and vanished?"

Jack nodded, "it seems so."

Caine came back in, this time followed by Drake. "I don't care how it seems, tell me how it is. Tell me what happened." Caine said to Jack, walking back out. "Jack, come."

The boy got up and followed Caine, folding the overly large laptop and bringing it with him.

Diana looked towards the kids left in the room, which happened to be most of the student body. Well, what remained of the student body anyway.

"Does anybody have any information on this? Anything that could help?" Diana asked.

They shook their heads.

"Look, if I were you, I would say something. I think we all know about Caine's little…gift. So if you know something, anything, you best say it now, because things are about to get _really_ ugly. "

A young girl form the middle school, Penny, raised her hand as if she were still in class. Diana would have laughed, had she not been in such a serious mood.

"Nurse Temple" the girl said softly.

"Yeah, she's gone. Get over it." Diana snapped, turning away.

"No," the girl said. "Nurse Temple, she used to talk to me about Caine, about something that wasn't…right about him. She talked about how something was wrong with this school, and with her son. She talked about things going wrong in this town."

Diana whipped around, "there is _nothing _wrong with Caine, or with this town, or with _us._" She said. One of the kids with Powers, who knew what Diana and Penny were talking about, whooped.

Diana glared at him, and he quieted down.

"Panda" Diana said to a small boy in the corner, "come with me."

He stood and followed her to the nurse's office. "What exactly do you want me to find?" He asked her, searching through her desk.

"Everything" Diana said, "if Nurse Temple knew something, anything, I want to know about it."

**oooo**

"That's enough! Caine, I know what you are capable of, I've felt it, you're a four-bar. But hunger, that's out of your hands. We _need _more food, and supplies."

Diana glared, her pulse racing. Caine stood, his face a few inches from hers. She breathed, calming down as his cold eyes bore into hers.

It had been almost two days since the adults had disappeared. The kids of Coates Academy had been running low on food, since today was when the new supply came in. Obviously, they had enough to last for a long time, but already they were beginning to have to ration in order to keep that food available.

Caine, who everyone assumed was in charge, had no obvious and fundamental ways of supplying his peers.

"What, Diana? What do you want me to do?" He said between his teeth, angry.

"As much as I hate to interrupt this tragic, yet so beautiful quarrel, I cannot help myself." Drake sat on the desk, arms crossed. "I think we should raid Perdido Beach. I mean, you said that Bug was down there yesterday, and the adults were missing as well?"

Caine nodded, turning to him.

"Well" Drake continued, "they have plenty of food that is completely open for us to take. We go down there, Caine, you, me, some men…raid a supermarket or something."

Caine considered the idea.

"No," Diana said, "we should figure out a trade. You know, like a deal with the kids there. According to Bug, the barrier obviously surrounds most, if not all the town. The kids will need help. We need help. Let's work together. Make them a deal." Diana said, said turning back to look at Caine, "we may need them eventually."

As Drake started to disagree with her statement, the hardness left Caine's eyes; leaving them deep, almost gentle, but seemingly untouchable.

Diana let her gaze wander to his lips, this close they looked softer than usual. Though always together, Caine and Diana had rarely gotten this close. Not a harmless touch since the night at the beach last November.

She missed the way he seemed so cold yet warm all at once.

A breath caught in her throat. Caine heard it and looked down at her. He was almost a head taller now. He grabbed her arms and smiled.

"Drake, prepare to leave for Perdido Beach. Pack some clothes you will need and necessities. I need to be with Diana." Caine never broke him and Diana's locked eyes. But his voice was enough for Drake to leave quickly, not without a low growl first.

"So… you will trade?" Diana knew the answer before he spoke.

"No."

She sighed and left his grip, pulling away to walk towards the open window. "Don't let it get out of hand, Caine. Don't make this some _Lord of Flies_ ordeal."

Diana knew something crazy would happen, but she also knew Caine wouldn't budge. Once he planned to take over Perdido Beach the town was doomed. It would be too easy; Caine would become bored, and try to make things more interesting. Someone was bound to get hurt…

"Trust me?" Caine said with a sheepish grin.

Diana faced him. Her face hard, serious.

"No."

Caine mocked a hurt face, but then grinned again. "Right, then let's get started."


	6. And GONE Begins

They pulled up in four different cars.

Diana sat shotgun next to Caine, shutting her eyes as they drove. She already felt like she was doomed.

He wore a bright yellow V-Neck and a pair of aviators. Normally this kind of shirt would make a man look incredibly flamboyant, but it made Caine look even sexier. He had specifically chosen this outfit because he knew how it made him appear less…scary.

Although Caine had learned to drive yesterday, he was already doing it perfectly. He smoothly pulled into the plaza at Perdido Beach. Kids were staring to gather around parade.

The car ahead of them pulled to a stop as Caine simultaneously hit the brake. Without glancing around he took off his sunglasses and unhooked his seatbelt.

Diana turned to face him, but he kept his face forward. "Smile pretty baby" he said, a grin already plastered on his face.

Caine stood up and faced the crowd of kids. He climbed from the backseat and onto the trunk. Diana stood up in the car too but hopped out and stood below Caine, behind the line formed by the rehearsed Coates kids.

All night Caine had had Drake work them. They had actually gotten in quite quickly when Drake was in charge.

Diana glanced up at Caine and nodded, he got the message and made his grin more sheepish than joyous.

His eyes scanned the plaza as he spoke, a well thought out monologue.

All the kids were young and scared, but they looked up at Caine with an awed expression.

He had a way with people.

He wasn't paying much attention until he got to the end of the crowd as four teenagers stood watching him.

A tall blonde girl looked skeptically at Caine, seemingly not interested yet making direct eye contact. Their eyes locked as he spoke.

She had blue eyes and blonde hair so light it was almost white, which matched her cream colored blouse. She was still pretty though her hair was caked with dirt and her face streaked with sweat.

Although Caine was still interested in her, she broke their brief interaction by leaning over to the boy standing next to her.

Now _this_ was interesting.

The boy made Caine's stomach turn.

The boy was tall, broad-shouldered, and well built, much like Caine. His hair was lighter, and thicker, and his face looked much different than Caine's, yet Caine couldn't help but see similarities.

Caine felt something with this boy.

Diana felt it too. She kept her gaze steady on the four older kids in back. By the way Caine's voices was a little less smooth and dominate than before, she knew he had noticed and felt something about those two in particular.

But then Caine put his hand on her shoulder as he helped himself jump from the trunk. His smooth strides came to a small boy in the third row of kids.

Diana had been too busy watching the boy in back that she hadn't even noticed what had happened until Caine was suddenly in front of her.

The crowd grew quiet as the small boy whimpered. Caine knelt down to eyelevel with the child and comforted him.

Damn, he was good, Diana thought.

Diana watched as the kids called out a leader. She was not surprised to see the boy in back called. His name was Sam. The kids all were ready to have Sam represent them as the leader of Perdido Beach.

He had apparently he had already saved a girl from a burning building and saved most of the downtown area. Diana turned around and spotted the burnt building,

"Impressive" she said to herself. It was obvious that Sam was sheepish and hesitant to come forward and admit to his courage, which Diana found odd. Most children want that type of honor.

Finally the Sam kid was convinced to join Caine in the church. The chosen few from Perdido Beach followed the chosen few from Coast as they descended the church stairs.

As Caine fell into step with Diana she stopped and held back. The pack kept moving but Diana stayed on the outs.

Caine noticed her leave and turned his head finding her big dark eyes immediately. Her gaze moved toward Sam and his girlfriend. Caine followed it and then returned his eyes to hers. With a curt nod she walked off, knowing what she had to do.

The other kids walked into the church, but she waylaid Sam out of the crowd.

Now as they were the only two outside, the air seemed quiet. She smiled, a seemingly practiced, loving smile. Though sparsely used, she saw it worked on Sam as he took her awaiting hand. Something was eerily familiar about him; though she was sure they had not met before.

Her other hand covered his as he tried to pull away. "I'm Diana, Diana Ladris" she said, watching him.

"Sam Temple." He said in a strong voice.

Diana breathed, grinning as she felt his power paired with the realization of his lineage. Caine was going to love this.

Her hands jerked away. "Ah" She almost whispered, her face full of fascination.

Sam let on a confused look.

He was a four bar. The highest yet. Though her mind was racing with thoughts, she quickly pushed them out. Things were going to get interesting, really fast.

Her eyes left her shoes and looked at Sam Temple again. "Well, well. I guess we'd better go in. We don't want to leave Fearless Leader without followers." She smirked and turned on her heel toward the church.

* * *

The church was beautiful, most impressive really. Caine silently admired the brilliant architecture as he waited for Diana and Sam to come in.

The group was still getting settled anyways. But it shouldn't have taken Diana so long to read him. She had been monitoring Caine's powers since the day at the library, and he had been the first person she went to when she discovered her power.

He knew how long it took to get a read.

Something was wrong. But as he was getting ready to go search for her, the heavy doors opened and Diana walked in followed by Sam.

She looked at Caine and Drake smugly, then took her place on the alter, next to Caine. She shook her head when he glanced at her.

Caine raised an eyebrow, but Diana didn't explain, so he turned towards the waiting people.

Sam has stepped toward the blonde and inclined his head as they whispered.

Caine breathed in, and began his next big speech.

A small boy was the first to respond to Caine's introduction.

Caine watch the boy, evaluating his whole gang.

He had said his name was Howard, when they had walked to the church. He was obviously the smartest of the gang. 'The Captain' a.k.a. Orc was an idiot. Though the biggest of all the kids there, he was obviously not with any power, and could be easily taken out, or manipulated. Howard was obviously mesmerized with Caine; he would be able to use that to his advantage.

As Caine set up all the important responsibilities throughout the leaders of the town, Diana kept her gaze steady on Sam Temple.

She knew Caine, and his capability. She knew his plan and bloodlust, his hunger for power.

She also knew that Sam was a good guy, and she knew he would risk his life to stop Caine from whatever tragedies he instigated.

And for once, she was slightly worried. She wasn't completely positive Caine would win this, and that fear scared her.

She watched Sam as he glanced at her. A confused look in his eyes he turned and she followed his gaze to Drake and Caine, she could smell a fight was about to happen, but the tension seemed to die down.

Diana, unconcerned, felt Caine work. She flowed with the feel of his power in the room. She listened as pebbles flew from a nearby crucifix onto the wood floor beneath.

God, how she wanted Caine in that moment!

But as inappropriate thoughts passed through her head her eyes stayed on Sam. The vibrations of the gigantic crucifix hitting the floor only made Diana smirk.

She loved when he did this. Even as the boy the falling sculpture had hit let out bloodcurdling scream after scream she didn't look away from Sam while feeling the rush of Caine's power through the veins.

Her power didn't just measure other people ability, but she was also able to feel the adrenaline rushing through the person's body. She felt the power as if she was producing it.

And it felt good. Oh did it feel good.

But she couldn't lose herself right now. And as the blonde girl with Sam whispered something to him and he turned to leave, Diana saw her chance. But as Caine looked for someone to help the boy under the crucifix, Sam was held up for a moment.

Diana walked over to Caine and put a smooth hand on his shoulder, feeling the bones and muscle.

She leaned her head into his neck and put her lips on his ear, almost teasing him. "They are unusual, different. I don't know what or why, but I will get a read."

She felt Caine's head sweep across the room, as his head turned toward the right his cheek brushing her forehead.

She moved away from him. This closeness was not good.

He gave her a bare smile and a soft nod. Diana watched as Caine moved past her and walked out of the church, she then fell into step with Drake. His sandy hair fell into his eyes as his head bowed to Diana, when he looked up at her, his eyes held a mockery sort of loathing, but also jealousy. He then turned and addressed Orc.

Go figures, Diana thought.

Diana walked out of the church, the sun hitting her face. She was not wearing her blazer, just her button down and skirt. Her tie was undone a bit and her collar unbuttoned, yet she was still hot.

She leaned over to pull down her socks. The heat was really penetrating.

Pulling her long dark hair into a high ponytail, she searched for Sam. Though she couldn't find him she easily, spotted the tall blonde he was with.

She held a small child who was obviously her little brother. The girl was talking to Computer Jack. Diana walked down the stairs outside of the church.

Diana was able to pick up a snidbit of their conversation. They were questioning Caine's authority.

"Already?" Diana whispered to herself.

Of course Diana chose that moment to interrupt.

"Jack there you are" she nodded to the blonde girl. "I hope your little brother is alright. The way you rushed out of there, I thought maybe he was sick."

The blonde gave what looked like a skeptical smile. "No. No, he's fine."

"He's lucky to have you" Diana smiled a wide, sweet, rare grin as she took the blonde's hand. But the blonde quickly pulled away. Diana's smile faded. "Astrid, right? I'm Diana"

Astrid nodded. Suddenly a shorter, older kid revved up an engine. He was one of the ones with Astrid and Sam when they were all out on the plaza.

Astrid explained he was burying the dead. Diana looked at Astrid, annoyed. She had really ticked off Diana when she started pondering Caine's intentions.

Diana knew this wasn't going as planned, though Caine would overlook any problems due to his high ego.

"Jack" Diana said when the got away from Astrid, "can you me a favor?" She leaned close to him as she said it, "will you find out more on that girl for me"

* * *

Diana and Jack followed Caine into town hall.

She had been unable to fully read Astrid, but Computer Jack put her on the list anyways.

Caine watched Jack as he put Astrid's name on the list. He had seen it, memorized it even. He was the only four bar, but there were two threes, which was not something to be glad about.

He turned toward Diana, "That went better then I hoped, I predicted there'd be some local bully we'd have to deal with. And I said there would be a natural leader. We get the bully working for us, and we keep an eye on the leader until we're ready to deal with him."

Diana looked nonchalant, "I'll keep an eye on him, he's cute."

Caine hated how she did this. It was a form of mockery. She knew how he felt, and he knew how she did. But they wouldn't get together. Either way though, she had this way of making him hot.

She teased him in small ways, reminding him that he could not have her. Like when she had recently touched her lips to his ears as she whispered instead of keeping her space, those things. Those things, she teased him with.

But even after her silent, taunting reminders of what they could share, she also teased him by speaking of other guys in front of him. She knew it made him scathingly jealous, even if she had no real interest, which he knew she didn't.

Caine ignored her snide and commented, "Did you get a reading on him?"

Diana shook her head, but Caine had a weird feeling. She wouldn't lie to him, would she? Because he knew she had tried for the reading.

But Caine had also seen the look of confusion on Jacks face; he knew Jack had been watching Diana and Sam through the window. He didn't press the matter though.

Caine was always very good about choosing his arguments and deciding how, where, and when he would confront someone.

So, for now, he would have to wait. Wait until he needed something from Diana in return.

* * *

**Do Not Own and rights. **

**Review, really. please do!**


	7. Empty Trysts

Though they still lived at Coates, Caine had figured it best they also have a home in Perdido Beach. He had had Coates kids go out and find the nicest house and he Diana, Drake, and Jack had all taken residence in it. Some of the other Coates kids had found other temporary homes, or made false friendships with the townies. Caine had the master bedroom, while Drake took up the very nice room in the attic while Diana had guest room in across the hall from Caines.

She was hungry, and the house, thought stored with food, held nothing appealing to her. She slipped on her blazer and fixed her hair. She walked down the many stairs and walked out into the entryway. The house was huge, most likely the Mayor's. It was white and marble and HUGE. She silently slipped out the door hoping not to bother Caine or Drake.

She padded down the street to Fourth Avenue. The town was small enough to walk through in a matter of minutes. She planned on going to the grocery store. She wanted something choc lately. _Mmmmm _She thought.

But her walk was interrupted as she heard the sound of voices. The roads were empty now, all the kids retiring to the safety of their homes. She turned the corner to see a girl with long red hair standing in the street light, surrounded by three figures in the shadows. Diana hid in a dark corner to spy on the action. As the figures approached the girl, Diana recognized her from the morning at the Plaza.  
_Beth, Brittany, Bess_, _something like that._

She recognized the figures as they were slowly illuminated in the street light. The big one was Orc, the idiotic bully from before and another smaller boy whom she had not yet seen, and Chaz, a minor bully from Coates. They were carrying metal bats. Orc played with his.

"Look like Bouncing Bette has a secret, huh Captain" said the smaller boy.  
_Ah, Bette. That was her name.  
_"What are you hiding Red" taunted Chaz  
"N-n-nothing. I-I'm not h-h-hid-hiding a-anything" Bette stammered. Her green eyes shone with an intense fear. Drake had been in charge of rule breakers in the town, and had been handing out physical punishment for the most minor, silly offenses.

"Don't lie to me" roared Orc  
"P-p-p-please" she managed  
"What was that light coming from your hand" asked Chaz  
"I-I'm s-s-sorry" Bette backed away, but before she could run the small boy was behind her.

"Do you know what we do to girls who break the rules" he said  
before she could run he grabbed her shoulders, holding her as Orc swung the metal bat at her head.  
Diana shut her eyes. She had seen torture before, but she'd rather see it less versus more.

They beat the skinny redhead until blood drenched the floor. Finally the girl was able to let lose their grip and she ran toward the firehouse.  
_To Sam Temple, go figure  
_

Diana watched as the three boys followed her. The firehouse was down the next street, the corner where she hid conjoining them; with just a turn of her head she could see the firehouse. She saw Bette's shadowy figure slumped in the open garage. She also saw her three predators slowly walking towards her. She heard Sam help Bette, he really was a good guy. She also watched as the three boys came up.

Suddenly a man was holding her shoulders his breath on the back of her neck.  
"Enjoy the show" She gasped to realize Drake Merwin was the one holding her.  
"How long have you been here" she turned, facing him.  
"Long enough"  
"You let them do this Drake? You encourage this?"  
"You didn't stop it Ladris"  
"It's inhuman"  
"But oh no girl, it's as human as it gets."  
Diana smirked "I never knew how incredibly humane you were Drake, so sensitive"  
"I'm a regular Joan of Arc, no let me stop these pussy's before the kill someone"  
He laughed.  
_Son of a Bitch. I hated him. With all my being I really did._

Diana turned around and walked back towards home. She'd loss her appetite. As she walked in she saw a light on in the kitchen. She pulled off her blazer and slung it on her arm. She walked to the kitchen. Caine stood with his back to her, facing a blank television screen.  
"What are we doing here" Diana asked

"Diana"  
"I just mean, Caine. Why? I just saw the skinny redhead girl pumbled to near death on the street for discovering her Powers. I bet she'll die by tomorrow from internal bleeding alone, if not from a crushed skull."

"Diana"

"What Caine! What!?" she was mad now. This is out of hand, and Caine knew it. He still wasn't facing her and that bothered her all the more.

"I know. I know"

"What the fuck does that mean!"

"I mean I know what's happening. It's wrong, but it's too late to stop it. I would rather not talk about this"

She knew it was time to end it. His voice was cold. And she could see his broad shoulders tense.

"So what do you want to talk about?"

"Us"  
"Us?"  
"Diana"

His voice had softened. _Oh shit_. She knew he meant them. Their relationship. She walked across the kitchen to him. His hips leaned against the counter.

"Caine"

"No, I need to know"  
"Know what? There is nothing to know"

He turned to face her, cupping her face in his hands.  
"Don't Diana. Don't. Cut the shit. We both need to know, and we both have our opinions and no solid reason to be separate, but so many reasons to be together"

"But…" her gaze left his, falling to his chest.  
"I know," he said"we can't be. I don't know why. But something in our lives have stopped us."

Before she could think her hands had lifted, pulling his from her face. But instead of letting go, she held on. Her eyes went up to his. He saw the acceptance in her eyes. Just this once. Her right hand left his and touched his lips, before quickly putting her lips on his. Just a tiny brush, but it was enough.

Caine turned Diana and threw her back into the nearby fridge. He pinned her long arms above her head. When their lips met again for a "real" kiss her body was already pressed up against his. Caine was tall and strong for his age. He easily was able to pick her up as their kissing became animal like a raw. Her bare legs wrapped around his small waist. He carried her to the counter as she moaned in between kisses.

Laying her down on the table Caine was incredibly quick. They wasted no time, knowing this would be a one-time only event. Lying on top of her he kissed her until his lips bled. Unable to unbutton her shirt quickly enough he simply ripped it open. As she went for his neck, he pulled of his gray t-shirt. As his hand ran up the outside of her bare thigh, Diana reached down to unbutton his Levi's. His pants only unbuttoned she made a move to pull down his black boxer shorts. He pulled her hand away, whispering in her ear. Diana arched her back inviting him undo her bra. Though her simple white silk one was so sexy, he wanted it off more than anything. But as unhooked it they were interrupted before he could even take it off. Caine froze for a second until Diana pushed him off of her. She walked out of the room, taking his shirt. He stood stupefied as she walked out, but he had no time to think as Drake's voice came from the entryway to the kitchen.

"In here" Caine said.

Now he knew why Diana had taken his shirt, he would have had no time to get dressed and clothes strewn on the floor wouldn't have come off well. Drake walked in, and seemed to ignore Caines appearance.  
"You were asleep?"  
Drake looked at Caine before grabbing some milk from the fridge.

Caine certainly looked it. His half buttoned jeans, bare muscular chest, and disheveled hair. He sounded hoarse anyways.

"Yeah just thirsty"

Drake turned,  
"She's dead."  
"Who?"  
"That redhead girl. She had a fire power. Not bad though, probably a one bar. Chez and the big guys and some other beat her until she died from internal bleeding. Did Diana not tell you about her?"

"Nah, haven't seen her yet. She here?"  
"I'd assume, I left her before I broke up the fight"

"Guess I was sleeping" this was working thought Caine.

"Yeah, anyways I'm beat. Gotta sleep. Night."

Caine stayed silent as Drake left. He then turned out the light and walked to his room. He paused outside Diana's room. The light was on under the crack of the door. He didn't bother with knocking.

Diana lied in bed with the lamp on. She had taken a quick shower to rid of Caines lingering scent and touch. She wore a white chemise and blue flannel shorts. She was on top of the bed, her eyes shut.

"You were right. The redhead is dead. Internal bleeding. I'm sorry"

"I didn't stop it. I watched it."

Caine didn't respond. Just stood in the doorway. Though there were a thousand things to say, Caine had nothing to say. There was nothing left to say.

But Diana didn't expect anything. She opened her eyes and sat up. She blinked at him and smirked. "Good night Soren"

"Ladris"  
With a nod he turned out the lamp light, hiding them in darkness, and walked into the richly carpeted hallway.

__


	8. Finding Sam

**SORRY** **TO NOT UPDATE! I WAS GONE ALL SUMMER, I MUST SAY THOUGH- I REALLY DID NOT LIKE THIS CHAPTER BUT FELT I MUST ADD IT IN CAUSE IT GOES WITH THE SRTORY AND IS NEEDED, BUT I DONT LIKE WHAT HAPPENS THAT MUCH. PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN YOU REVIEW. AND PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE DO REVIEW!!!!**

"I'm starting to get a tan." Diana said holding her arm in front of her for observation. The usual white skin had gotten darker in the few days they'd been in Perdido Beach.  
"You are." Caine said, not looking at her. Though he was completely ignoring Diana, this little piece of knowledge that he had noticed her tan, gave her a teeny jolt in her stomach. It was hard having someone ignore you for a few days, but when you live with them- it is torturous.

Diana sighed and walked into the large office Caine had come to occupy. She walked over to his desk and laid her hands on the old mahogany.  
"Caine," She said sternly.  
He swiveled around to face her. His dark eyebrows creased in a small frown. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.  
"What the fuck is going on with you?" She said exasperated that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"You've been ignoring me since the redhead girl died." Caine blinked and continued to eye her.  
_Doesn't she know me at all?_

"And?" He asked innocently. Diana hesitated, "That was the night...we..." she trailed off hoping Caine would get it and fill in the blanks. Instead, Caine just became more confused.

"Dammit! Did that even mean anything to you?" She snapped. Eyes becoming wide with realization Caine nodded:  
"Of course it did Diana. But the world does not revolve around you; I have other responsibilities than to deal with what happened. I'll tell you that whatever the other night was, it was of little importance or significance now. Can we move on?"

Diana threw up her arms and chassѐd over to the hereby couch, grabbed a trashy magazine and lay out.

Caine sat watching her, willing himself to turn away and get back to something more important. But her muscular legs unable to resist. Her stomach was just visible where the light blue blouse had ridden up. Sighing Caine began to chew on his nail- a habit he had tried to break since childhood.

He had told her it meant nothing, their brief moment of lust had been meaningless- but the fact was, it wasn't It had meant a great deal. In truth He had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Sam Temple and the Fayz, that he only had time for Diana in his dreams. Well more like nightmares. They all started the same:

**Sam's crippled body strewn across the floor of the church, and his girl was clutching him to her breast, tears streaming down her face. Drake, laughing with his light eyes alight in pure glory. And then Diana reaching for Caine telling him it would be okay. Telling him that Sam isn't dead, that he didn't kill him, just ruined him. Hurt him beyond repair, but didn't end his life. Caine resisted Diana, trying to leave, to give her a better reality. But then she began to undress, and he would be hooked. From standing in the church, to being in the kitchen in their house in Perdido Beach. She would undo her Coates uniform, an outfit she hadn't wore since Bette died. And she would wear the same white bra, and a pair of matching underwear. Her skin had even become slightly darker in his dream, the white enhancing it. Her mouth-watering hair would ripple over her breasts, and her soft pink lips would touch his in a single moment of ecstasy. He had never felt so helpless. In those few moments he had with her, she felt more real than any other person in his life. It was then that Sam came back, storming into the kitchen. Diana would give Caine a kiss on his cheek, before leaving to join Sam. Her hand would rub his chest as she embraced him. "You're dead!" Caine would scream, and then Drake would go join Sam too. "No!" Caine would yell, over and over again. But Drake would remain near Sam, and Diana, his stunning Diana, would be sucking face with his enemy. He was betrayed, every night in his subconscious. He was lost, and...Hurt. Caine Soren was, hurt. **

He was pulled out of his drifting thoughts when the door slammed into the wall. In strode Drake, his face gleamed with a slight sweat. "It just happened," he said loudly. Caine sat upright and looked at Drake, then Diana whom ignored them, reading her magazine.  
"What happened?"  
"The two girls you had me following. They both just took the big jump. They poofed, as that idiot Quinn says."

_Shit._ Caine leapt to his feet. The girls had poofed; he had expected it- but had hoped it would not be true. He had not long left. He would poof, and lose his glory. The power and strength he held so dearly, revelled in.

* * *

"Ready?" Drake lookd at Diana. She knew he hated her almost as much as she hated him. In her opinion Drake was a good-for-nothing sadist. And on the simple fact that he was a sadist, is exactly why he was so attractive to Caine. Drake was an idiot, but he had a lot of pull with Caine, and since he would never have as much as Diana, he knew to check with her as to not upset her and in turn, Caine.

She ignored him and after a moment, Drake nodded to Panda, and then followed him inside the grocery store. A second later, Diana followed them.

Inside, Sam was already on the floor, trying not to give in to unconsciousness. Above him Panda stood with a wooden baseball bat. Behind him sat his girl, Astrid. Timmy and George, two of Caine's men, were holding both of Astrid's arms as she tried to escape.

"You got everything Panda?" Diana asked, looking from Drake to Sam. Panda nodded and grabbed the Mylar balloon. Diana went to stand by Drake in the corner, but Panda called her back.  
She watched as Sam had his hands tied. She saw the resemblance between Caine and him. It was hard to see, but it was there. As she watched Sam, more closely this time, she realized that every feature was similar to Caine's, but not as perfect. It hurt her that this was what she noticed, was she that shallow? Was she only drawn to Caine because of his looks?

She walked towards the boy on the floor, his hands bound with duct-tape. She knelt down to his eye level and gave her classic smirk.  
"Its Mylar. It's a reflective surface. So I wouldn't try to turn on your mojo, Sam: you'd fry your own hands"

Sam tried to say something, but it came out grumbled.

"You're brother wants to have a nice conversation with you"

Sam looked confused for a moment before trying to speak again. Diana felt a shove in her shoulder as Drake pushed her away. Diana rolled her eyes and walked away as she heard Drake rolling off threats to Sam.

Diana walked out of the store and back to Town Hall. Inside, Caine was sitting in the same position he had been in earlier. She walked into his office while pulling her hair into a high ponytail. She saw Caine glance at her neck for a moment which gave her satisfaction.  
"They've got Temple," she said. "He's on his way with the girl and her retard brother."

"Stay with Drake, when he's got a grip come over here and work with Sam." Caine said, nodding for some kids to grab a chair. "Work with Sam? I am no threat."

"You can seduce anyone Diana, sex is the biggest threat to a person." Diana stared at Caine before smirking. "He's not deep, it will be easy without an effort on my part."  
"Is it an effort for you to seduce someone?" a smile tugged at the corners of Caine's lips, it was the first time she had seen even a hint of a smile, for a long time.

"It's an effort to seduce you." Now Caine full out laughed. It felt nice to hear that.  
"You tried to seduce me?" He crossed his arms over his chest. Diana had a witty comeback on the tip of her tongue, but suddenly a jolt of voices came from the hall. Diana turned to see Astrid being pulled through the front door and into a room at the other end of the building. After a moment she turned back to Caine whom nodded his face hard- all happiness gone.

* * *


	9. The Unfulfilled Torture

Diana walked up to where Drake was holding the blonde girl by the arms. She had stopped squirming and was standing strong, giving Diana a deathly look. Diana smirked and nodded her head toward a door at the end of the hallway. The room was full of desks that had previously been moved to the edge of the room with a single chair sitting in the middle. As they entered the room Astrid took a little gasp. Diana knew she was recognizing the room. Drake shoved Astrid and her little brother off and went to go lean against a wall.  
"Have a seat. Read a book, if you want. I know you like that kind of thing. " Diana said gesturing to the seat. Astrid picked up a nearby book off one the desks. "Yes, fourth grade math. I love that kind of thing." She said. Diana crossed her arms and looked at her.

God this girl was annoying. Her shoulder-length light bob was simply irritating, and her know-all personality was awful. Sure she was smart, but she hid behind Sam. That was the worst. Sam was the one with the power, the one who held a real threat. No one else in Perdido Beach did. But it didn't matter, since none of them pretended to. Astrid did. Sam might be a threat, but Caine was just as dangerous. The only risk of losing for Caine was if he forgot his humanity and just tried to win. Drake was the one without humanity, and hopefully Diana would be able to save Caine from ending up like him. But Diana was also sieving, and manipulative. She could almost measure up Caine. Astrid…well she was incomparable to Sam. It was a shame he loved her, a shame this innocent little girl could bring down Sam Temple.  
"You know, I really dislike you."

Astrid rolled her eyes and Drake smirked. "Of course you don't like me," Astrid said, her airy voice strong and defiant. "I make you feel inferior." Drake laughed.

"I don't feel inferior to anyone." Diana snapped. It was true, she didn't. Somewhat to Caine, but she knew it would kill Caine if he physically hurt her, so overall she held more power. And Sam, well Sam couldn't hurt her- especially if she couldn't physically fight him. Regardless, Astrid's comment had irritated Diana.

"Really?" Astrid asked, seeing Diana's reaction to her previous remark. "Because usually a person who does bad things recognizes that there's something a little wrong with them. You know? Even if they suppress it, they know they're sick inside." Diana smirked, again. "Yeah" she drawled, "I feel bad about that. My evil heart and all. Give me your hand." She reached for Astrid, but Astrid pulled back. The small retarded boy sat by his sister playing a game.

"What?"  
"I promise not to infect you with my badness. Give me your hand." Diana said smoothly. Astrid searched her eyes.  
"No." she said defiantly. Diana shrugged.  
"Drake. Make her give me her hand."

Astrid gasped, looking from Diana to Drake, whom had got off the wall with a giddy expression. Diana raised her brow.

"Fine." Astrid extended her arm. Diana took her hand, it was surprisingly cold, which was wrong- it didn't go with Astrid, her hand should be warm.

"You read people. I should have figured it out earlier. You have the power, don't you?" Astrid discovered.  
"Yep" Diana nodded, releasing her. "I read people. But don't worry, I just read power levels, not your secret little thought about how much you want to make out with Sam Temple." Astrid blushed.

She was so naïve, and Diana couldn't help but laugh at her. She was practically having sex with Caine, and this girl was embarrassed at someone mentioning her kissing Sam.

"Oh, please, that's obvious. He's cute. He's brave. He's smart, but not as smart as you. He's perfect."

Astrid shook her head. "He's just a friend."  
"Uh-huh" Diana rolled her eyes. "Well, we're about to find out how good a friend he is. He knows we have you. If he doesn't tell Caine everything Caine wants to know, and do whatever Caine tells him to do, Drake here is going to hurt you."

"What?"Diana got pleasure out of the look on Astrid's face.  
_God, I'm turning into a sadist. I_'ve _been way too close to Drake for way too long. _

"Well, that's why we keep Drake around. He enjoys hurting people. We don't keep him around for his conversational skills." Drake shot Diana the most bloodthirsty look she had ever seen. His upper lip even pulled back in something that resembled a snarl. Diana walked over to him and as she walked past him, she put her hand on his shoulder. "Go ahead, raise a hand against me, Drake." She stage whispered, taunting. "Caine would kill you."  
Now she was pretty sure Drake did growl. Diana turned her head, "Better behave yourself, he's all riled up now" she said to Astrid. Astrid shuddered as Diana walked out the door.

* * *

Sam was being difficult, more than difficult. Just plain irritating- and Caine had worn his patience short. He had already used his power to hurt him, but nothing seemed to shake him. The news of Drake with Sam's girl had hardly seemed to hurt Sam. Though Caine knew it had. If Diana had been with Drake and Caine had no hold over Drake-then he would be scared shit-less. That is if Sam cared for Astrid at all as Caine for Diana.

Finally, Sam had baited Caine enough. Putting out his hands, Caine threw Sam into the basketball hoop across the room they were occupying. Caine then dragged him across the floor of the gym up to Caine's feet. Sam was now bleeding from his head as well as his nose.  
"So," Caine said nonchalantly. "A few months ago…" Sam stood up slowly as Caine explained life at Coates with the power.  
"Yeah, that was cool." Sam said, with an attempt at defiance. "Can you do it again?"

"He's baiting you." Diana noticed as she strode into the large gym. Her hair had been taken down from its ponytail and hung around her face. She looked incredibly irritated.  
_Wonder what happened with Drake and Astrid _Caine thought.

"He's trying to prove tough" Caine said quickly.  
"Yes. And he's proved it. Move on."  
"Watch how you talk to me, Diana" He said slowly. She was mad about something; otherwise she would never risk demeaning him. She walked to stand next to Caine and crossed her arms over her chest. She shook her head. "Well you look pretty bad Sam."  
"He'll look worse" Caine said easily, and Diana didn't doubt it.

"Here's the deal, Sam. Caine wants answers from you."  
"Why not ask Quinn?" Diana was surprised Caine let her try on Sam.  
"Because he doesn't know the answers, but you do, so here's the thing: if you don't answer Fearless Leader's questions, Drake is going to start beating on Astrid. And just so you know: Drake is sick in the head. I'm not saying that to scare you, I'm saying it because it's true. I'm a bad girl. Caine has delusions of grandeur" Diana was again surprised Caine didn't stop her. "But Drake is flat out sick in the head. He could kill her, Sam. And he's going to start up in five minutes unless I go back and tell him not to. So, tick-tock."

"What questions?" Sam managed to ask, though his voice was shaky.  
"See how easy that was?" Diana asked Caine.  
"And I didn't even have to seduce him" she whispered so only Caine could here. Instead of saying anything, he gave her a warning pinch on the back of her leg.

Sam had not seen this pinch, and if so, came to the same conclusion. He knew Caine loved her. And Diana could tell he knew, and she could almost feel Caine's irritation fuming from him. Drake knew there was something between them, but had no idea how deep. In some strange order of events, Sam had discovered it.  
"Tell me about your father." Caine said with a pained voice. He knew if Sam managed to get Diana, he would not go after her. He would have to let her get hurt; something he had promised himself never to do. But there was no choice; he couldn't give up anything for Diana. No that Sam knew, everyone would. And though Diana doubted Astridsf intelligence and threat level, Caine knew better. She would encourage the easier path then hurting Caine. Hurt Diana. And if she told Sam that, he would do it. He would use Diana against Caine. It would be easy, but Caine wouldn't give in.

Caine sighed as Sam spoke and pushed out his worry. Sam of course gave no help to Caine's inquiry, and just managed to piss Caine off even more. It wasn't until Drake barged in, slmming the double doors in his wake. His shaggy light hair was damp with sweat.  
"Is she here?" he bellowd.  
"Who?" Diana asked quickly  
Drake came face to face with her, fuming.

"Who do you think? The blonde and her retarded brother." Caine pulled Drake to face him, "You let her get away?" he demanded.  
"I didn't let her get away. They were in the room with me. The girl was pissing me off, so I smacked her. Then they disappeared. Gone." Caine looked at Diana with scathing frustration. She was taken aback. "No. She was months from turning fifteen. And, anyway, her little brother was four…"

It took her a moment to realize why Caine looked so pale.

* * *

"Nice going by the way." She looked over at Caine sitting on the bathroom counter. Drake had moved out yesterday, and was now back at home; depressed he had lost Sam and his posse. "I was distracted." Caine said in explanation as Diana tried to bandage his broken nose and busted lip. Diana leaned her head to the side and blinked. His hair covered his face, but she could see his eyes were shut. His chest moved slowly as he inhaled. His side was pretty bruised. _God, _she thought_, he was scary. _

_Caine was young, but he looked anything from a fifteen yearold boy. We all had been forced to grow up early, and fast. But in reality, we weren't all so young and innocent. By sixteen most girls had had sex with multiple parteners, and most teenagers had been high on some illegal drug. We weren't immature. Caine was damn crazy, I was dark, Drake was, well…Drake- but we all acted older than the kids of Perdido beach. At Coates, we all grew up quickly; even before the FAYZ. We were sent there because we were no longer innocent; we were all dark and bad. The Coates kids in Perdido Beach were bad. They weren't like Sam saw them, hurt and used by Caine. They were just as bad as he was. And they knew it. When you went to Coates, nothing changed, you just became more secretive, manipulative. Caine and I, well we came out and used our power. The other kids were scared of us, of Drake too. But I don't blame them for that. We were scary, Sam should be running. He should be scared. Lucky Sam, Caine was more injured then he let on. Sam had really hurt him. A broken nose, bruised side, split lip. Caine would not go out in public with scars. Sam had a chance to get away to survive._

Diana knelt down to look for an instant icepack in the cabinet below the counter. She shifted threw the usual stuff before noticing some Neosporin. She reached for it and then stood up to find herself between Caine's legs. He didn't seem to notice, and she put the gel on his lip.  
"I hate him, you know?" Caine said, his eyes downward.  
"No you don't." Diana said coolly. "Now take off your shirt." He pulled off his black tee and looked at her as she found the ice pack and applied It ti his bruised ribs.  
"Excuse me?" She stopped and met his eyes.  
"You are upset that he was chosen over you. Nurse Temple kept him, and gave you away."  
Caine was irritated, but didn't argue. Diana looked at him. She couldn't believe how much she hated him, and how much she loved him. She had never said it. Never told him she loved him. She had kept It secret. He had never doubted that she was attracted to him, but he had no idea she was in love with him. She wasn't even sure she was. But emotion got the best of her and she put her hand to cup his cheek.  
"Caine, I want you for you. Not who you could have been if you had a real family. Isn't that enough?"  
He stared at her in surprise.  
"No."  
And then a moment later: "Why does this have anything to do with you, Diana? I have shit with Sam, nothing about which way you want me."

She was stupid. Why had she said that. She watched Caine for awhile, but he never quite met her eyes. And then she leaned forward and kissed him, softly. "I know." she said as she pulled back. They satyed there a moment before Diana leaned in again. This time, Caine pushed her away, hard. She went back into the wall and he stood up and walked out.

Caine had been hurt by Sam, his mother, his adoptive parents, and now by Diana. She had stood there, trying to kiss him. To push away his thoughts of Sam with ones of her. He hated that. Hated it. He knew what she meant, knew what she wanted him to do, but he couldn't. He couldn't do this now; it would show weakness to finally have her wholly. He didn't want it anyways. She couldn't understand. When they had been at Coates, he had wanted her, but never would take her. He had cared for her, but never loved her- as he did now. Since the FAYZ it was if they had become closer- which, was ironic since they spent less time together now then they did at school.

Now, she too cared for him. She didn't hide it, or ignore it. Something about her acted almost desperate, as if she thought their engagement was a limited time offer. As if he would be the one to pull away. He had been the one to leave tonight, but he would come back. He knew it and hoped to god she would. After their little rendezvous in the kitchen, well he wouldn't have been surprised if they had actually fucked. But now, he had just found out Sam Temple was his brother. There was no fucking way he could put aside everything and be with her. She was an idiot to think so. This FAYZ was way bigger than any of them, and in both their own ways, they could see that and refuse to see that.

Now Caine was in his room holding the ice pack Diana had left for him. He lay their till almost midnight, when not hearing Diana, he went to go find her and talk. Surprisingly she was not in her room, or downstairs. Caine shrugged it off figuring she went for a walk to go blow off some steam. But in the morning Diana had not come home, instead a note was left on the door.

* * *

God she was pissed. Caine had fucking left her! After she put his things in his room she grabbed a sweatshirt and left. Caine was a bastard, and he needed to remember she could be just as powerful as he was, or pretty damn close. Diana refused to acknowledge the fact that Caine had other things on his mind. Around seven am, Diana stood up from where she had been sleeping by the beach. Tonight was important. Caine had a lot to do, but she could handle it. She walked quickly back to her home. She smiled to herself as she pinned a note to the front door. It was getting hot, and it was only morning. She had work to do. Time to pay a visit to Computer Jack.

Happy Sweet Fifteen, Andrew!


	10. Goodbye, Andrew

**Note:  
I have more I wanted to post in this chapter but am missing the book and need to reference it. I will have it done by tomorrow, I promise. And I swear to post each chapter sooner, this one i typed weeks ago in a hurry and forgot to post. Make sure to read the Alert! at the bottom. VERY IMPORTANT.  
thanks:)

* * *

**

"Get the fucking ropes!" Diana yelled at the kids.

_Must I do everything, _Diana thought. Well, actually, Caine just assumed she was thinking it. None of the Coates kids were listening to her, which meant they weren't listening to Caine, since he had given the order to Diana.

"Do as she says" Caine said from his seat next to Computer Jack, "or deal with me." That made the kids move fast enough.

Diana gave a small pout and walked over to where he sat. She hated it when people took her less seriously than Caine, luckily, it didn't happen often. And not to the people who mattered, a.k.a. Sam- and Astrid. They knew the threat of Diana.  
That thought pleased her.

"What are you smiling about?" Caine asked, perplexed.

"Nothing. We've got Andrew here, right?" her lips moved down, but her eyes still gleamed.

"Yeah" Caine just frowned and looked away; he had other things to do.

Two small boys ran in carrying ropes and started tying them to a variety of objects around the room: tables, lights, staircases, etc.

Caine looked around. Everything seemed in order and on time. They had ten minutes till Andrew's birthday. Computer Jack had set up cameras to capture every angle of where Andrew would be when he blinked out. In the other room, Andrew could be heard crying softly, praying to a lost God, in a faith that would soon disappoint him. It made Caine laugh; believing in God anyways was idiotic. One man who created and controlled the universe: Doubtful. And to keep faith even after the FAYZ began- It was zany in the least. But maybe Andrew wasn't religious; he was just scared and trying to confess in hopes of safety after what seemed like death. Caine could not see himself doing that, but understood the emotion. He wouldn't ever tell anyone that though.

To be honest, he didn't know Andrew too well. He knew the kid's stats: weight, height, GPA- but nothing of his personal life. The kid had been into sports, hung with the basketball team. Not that there were really cliques at Coates, it was too small for that.  
Still though, Caine had never known about anyone besides Diana, Computer Jack, Drake, and then the rest of the kids with the power. He had learned about them after they had gotten the "gift".

"Shouldn't we bring him out?" Drake asked, checking the clock on the wall, "his exact time may be off by a few minutes."

Diana looked at her watch, "Drake, you should bring him in."

Drake looked at her, peeved.

"No, she's right. You are the only one who can handle him if he makes a break for it." Caine said quickly, and Drake left, only to come back a moment later, dragging a boy with messy brown hair forward.

"Please, don't. Please!" Andrew begged. His skinny form was hunched in some psychological pain, and his eyes were like swollen apples.

"Tie him up" Drake said, throwing Andrew by his shirt to some kids. They immediately swarmed him and a moment later, his arms and legs were strained.

"Out. Everyone." Caine said sharply. The kids all left, as Drake, Diana, and Computer Jack stayed.

Caine stood up and walked behind the chairs. He was back in his uniform, as was everyone in the room, apart from Drake, whom still wore shorts and a tee-shirt.

Caine's hair was mussed from the lack of sleep the night before, there were heavy bags under his eyes and his skin was pale. Not a pretty pale, like Diana's normally was, but a sickly, grayish color. Only his charm remained, and the usual sexiness of him barley showed in his looks.

Contrastingly, Diana looked hot, with her hair down and tie loosened. She had put on makeup this morning, and her eyes popped with mascara. Drake looked good as well, surprising, since he had had a rougher night than anyone. Only Andrew looked as bad as Caine, which was not something he was proud of; to say the least. And Computer Jack, well, he looked exactly the same.

"Andrew," Caine said as he paced behind the chairs now occupied, "Are there any last words before you go?"

Andrew let out a blubbered sentence, which Caine ignored.  
He walked over to stand between Drake and Diana, putting a hand on each shoulder.

"Well, I would like you to know that we appreciate your volunteering for our little experiment here. Your little disappearing poof might just save us all. That is, if Jack here can find something out. Otherwise your imprisonment would be in vain." He looked at Computer Jack when he said this, earning a shudder from the small boy.

Andrew continued to fight the ropes, ripping his skin. Caine ignored him, realizing with a spike that his hand had begun to play with Diana's bra strap. He immediately looked to see he wasn't doing the same thing to Drakes shoulder. He wasn't. Looking back he realized Diana had stiffened under his touch. Caine blinked, but before pulling his hand back, he massaged his thumb into her, just enough to recognize the small moan that escaped her lips. Luckily, Diana was smart enough to ignore him after the initial shock of the touch had worn off. Either that, or she was still pissed at him, Caine couldn't be sure, probably both. Either way, she satyed still, ignoring his hidden advances.

"Five minutes" Computer Jack said slowly.

Caine pulled back and continued to pace.

"You see, Andrew, you shouldn't be upset we are holding you here. I mean, you're going to go away anyways. Now you have a going away party."

"Aren't you happy?" Diana asked.

* * *

**!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!!!ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**IN A RECENT INTERVIEW IN NYC, THE AUTHOR SAID THAT TWO CHARACTERS "CONSUMMATE" THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN THE FOURTH BOOK. HE DID NOT SPECIFY WHETHER THE COUPLE WAS CAINE+DIANA OR SAM+ASTRID. I THINK IT IS SAM+ASTRID, BUT AM NOT SURE....**

ANYWAYS- I PLANNED ON HAVING A SEX SCENE W/ C+D SOON, AND THE QUESTION IS: SHOULD I NOT HAVE ONE, AND WAIT TO SEE WHO IT IS, OR SHOULD I JUST DO IT??

YOU CHOICE

**SO REPLY  
**

**ASAP**


	11. A Fallen Soldier

**It took a while I know, and I apologize. Since the votes have gone unanimously to have a sex scene, I will do it. Probably within the next chapter, or the one after.**

**Thank You ti everyone who added their input:**

**-Edward-Cullen-1  
-Rain on your back  
-Tyra  
-Newestgirz  
-Ceehyoo  
-minski2013  
-Spiffswishy  
**

**Again- Thanks all so much! **

_is no way Caine actually can use these people, _Diana thought. It wasn't enough that everyone on his team didn't like him, but they weren't even worth it. Drake, the only really dangerous guy apart from Caine, was about to have his arm cut off. By a _girl_! Diana wanted to scream. No one had enough guts to operate on Drake, and now she was stuck with the job. And here she was now, leaning over Drake, her long hair pulled back into a braid, and her expensive leather jacket drenched in grime, about to be covered in blood. On second thought, she took the jacket off.

"Don't cut off my arm!" Drake cried. He looked so terrified, underneath Diana. His body covered in sweat, dirt, blood. "Just let me die. Just let me die. Shoot me." Diana could easily imagine herself in Drake's position. Only when she was about to be deformed, Drake wasn't the one saving her life. He would be the one laughing in the background. Suddenly reminded to feel no pity for the worm, she moved to bring the saw down on his arm, but she felt Caine hold her back. One of his hands was on her shoulder, telling her to wait. Diana sat back, impatiently.

"Sorry, but I still need you, Drake. Even one handed" Caine kept his arm on her.

"Let's get this over with" Diana said through clenched teeth.

"You do this, he's going to kill you" said Panda. Caine cast his eyes towards the small boy, and Panda shut up. Diana kept her cool though, curling her fingers around the saw again.

"Oh, Drake's already decided he wants to do that" she said, and it was true. "Tighten the tourniquet."

Caine was impressed. He felt bad for Drake, not enough to oblige his peer's wishes, but enough to realize the immense pain he was in, added to the burden of losing an arm. Computer Jack mumbled a warning about bleeding to death, Caine cursed himself for not thinking of that. But Diana was already on the case, and within a few minutes she had sawed his arm clear off. Drake lost consciousness, his mind filling with delusions. Caine watched Drake open his eyes once as Diana began to thread the needle to stitch him up.

Panda, Computer Jack, and three others had to carry Drake to the bed layed out in the kitchen.

"Diana" Caine said as she stood up.

"I need to shower" she said, interrupting whatever he was going to say. Caine stayed quiet and grabbed her jacket off the floor as he followed her to the showers.

"What do you think?" Caine said when they had shut the door to her room.

"About what?" Diana took out her hair tie and began to undo her braid. Caine sighed and fell onto the bed, lying in the pillows.

"Don't play stupid" he said, looking at the ceiling. Diana looked in the mirror. She was still Diana, beautiful, dangerous. But she wasn't the same girl she had been a little less than two weeks before. She was the kind of girl she had always fancied herself. Diana had always been a bitch, a lying, seductive, bitch. She too was a sadist, she enjoyed seeing people hurt. Not in physical pain, not like Drake. Well she had enjoyed Drake in pain, but that wasn't the point. She felt good when she hurt people. Broken hearts, ruined dreams. That was what Diana fancied, but she was always just waiting for something else. Something real. Most kids hated the FAYZ, but for Diana, it was a blessing. She _wanted _war, she _wanted _to fight. She wanted something more than scandal. She didn't want to die, or for other people to die, but she wanted to be swept into a real adventure. The Diana looking back at her in the mirror was the real Diana. The one she wanted to be.

"Stupid?" Diana turned around to face Caine, whom still wasn't really paying attention to her.

"Anarchy, Diana, complete anarchy." Caine's voice was muffled.

"I thought you and Sam were the law." She watched Caine, and then turned around again to look at herself. Sometimes, she wanted him, others she didn't. Now, it was kind of hot. Her, covered in blood, him, lying on her bed. Except Caine wasn't interested in sex, not now anyways. He had made that clear the other night, and he was too pre-occupied to change his mind.

"Diana, you just cut off Drake's arm. Panda was right; he is going to hurt you. That's your business, and I can't deal with it. But you both need to come to some sort of agreement. I can't win if you don't work together. And Drake really screwed up" Caine said, "he lost all those freaks. The people who would have backed me, and now they are going to go running to Sam. I can't stop all of them. And there are more powers coming, more people becoming freaks like us." Caine threw a pillow against a wall. "There will be a revolt. It will happen, Diana. The normals kids, the _humans_" Caine almost spat the word, Diana had never considered herself not to be human, just a human with powers. "they will revolt. Against Sam, Drake will revolt against both of us, and we will all lose. We will all lose." Caine shuddered. Diana blinked and sighed.

"Kiss me, Caine" It was so unexpected, so out of the ordinary, Caine didn't move. Diana didn't either, for a second at least. But after that, she was moving everywhere. On top of Caine, against the wall, on the floor, on the bed. Kissing, all they could do was kiss and kiss and kiss, until Diana had streaked the blood everywhere, feeding him her tongue. When they finally got some air, They were by her door. Diana, suddenly unsure, pulled away and ran out into the hall, into the showers. Caine stayed behind a minute, catching his breath. Diana chose some really bad times to go at it. Caine was just thankful Diana had left him when she did, he wasn't sure he would have stopped them before something really happened. And he did not have time to deal with that now.


	12. And GONE Ends

**Last from GONE**

**Next to HUNGER**

**Thanks for all the support, you guys are really great. Oh, and should I move the rating up to M? I don't really understand that system. Thanks!**

* * *

"Caine" she said into the room. It was quiet, awfully quiet. Diana heard a noise and turned around, hitting her side on the door frame.

She pressed a hand to her shoulder where Drake had cut her a few days before. It still hurt, especially when being impaled with the doorframe. Realizing there was nothing behind her, she turned back.

"Caine" she said again, this time louder. But the room was silent.

Diana walked into the dark, shadowed office. She couldn't see him, but felt him there. The night was cool, winter was coming.

"Caine" Diana stopped walking when she almost tripped over a fallen bookshelf. It was quiet. Then, without warning, the door slammed shut. The only light source, which had been coming from the hallway, vanished. Her breath caught in her throat. It had been less than a week since the fight.

Fight was an understatement; Diana thought tentatively, _Battle_ was more like it. And in all the time since then, Caine hadn't spoken a word to her. Not a word. He had seen Drake on more than one occasion, but never Diana. He had never called on her, or let the door open when she passed by. But now here she was, in the middle of the night, only up to get a glass of water, and suddenly seeing the door open. Either Caine was asleep and had left the door ajar accidently, or he wanted her to come. And honestly, she had thought, the chances of the former are pretty much non-existent.

The breeze pushed through the open window, and Diana gulped. Finally letting out her breath, she looked directly where she knew Caine was sitting.

"Caine" she said, this time softly. He didn't answer.

"They sent us some turkey, the towni-" she stopped, realizing Caine didn't want to hear about Sam's town.

"Happy Thanksgiving" she tried again, not caring much anymore. She didn't know what to say to him. What could she say? She had betrayed him. She wasn't going to apologize. He shouldn't expect her to…

"What do you want?" she whispered, her question sounding both strong and sensitive. But again, he didn't answer.

Coate's Academy was silent. Everyone was asleep.

"Please, Caine" she breathed.

Diana had been running the Academy ever since the battle. She didn't have many kids to monitor, but she did have enough. It wasn't like she was actually a _good_ boss. Her directions had consisted of telling everyone to "move off and go make yourself useful". But hey, it was the best she could do. Only Drake, the pest, kept annoying her.

There was the sound of a chair swiveling. Of course, Diana thought, he didn't even have the courtesy to answer me, much less look at me. But now he was, now Caine could see her. Well he _could _see her, if the blinds weren't blocking out the bright moonlight, but his eyes were in the right direct, instead of facing the wall as they had been earlier. He still didn't speak though. Caine too, didn't know what to say. What could he say? He hated her, truly hated her. Sure she was his, his Diana, but he couldn't help but hate her. She had betrayed him, lied to him, and helped _SAM._

But Caine wasn't as upset as he should be, not with her. He was mad at himself for losing. It wouldn't have been a fair fight, had Sam poofed. Plus Sam hadn't even heard Diana anyway; he made the decision to stay over that slinky little blonde.

No, Caine had lost, in a fair fight. Sam had won. Caine knew what he had to do. What he was going to do. After torturing himself through countless hours of one on one with Drake, he deserved to get something out of it. But that could wait.

Caine tilted his head. Diana took a small step in his direction, being careful to avoid the mess on the floor. She came closer, until she was a year away from Caine.

"Caine" she whispered again.

"Yes" Caine didn't move, didn't give her any emotion in his voice, nothing to go one. But he _had _answered her, and that was enough for Diana.

"I know you hate me" Diana put a hand out, not knowing exactly where he was. "But I don't hate you." She continued when he didn't answer. "And I can give you something to make you forgive me."

She could almost see Caine raise his eyebrows questioningly. She knew him well.

"Well maybe not forgive, but to stop punishing me, punishing yourself." She reached her body forward until her fingertips brushed the chair. She ran her fingers down the polyester until she reached his shoulder.

Her words were interesting to Caine. In a way, I have been punishing her, Caine thought. But not really, he had just ignored her, but was that enough to make her tick? Whatever it was, he knew, it would never be enough to make him stop loathing himself. There was only one way to do that. _Win. _

And Caine knew how. But again, he had all night till his plans set in motion, and here was Diana…

Maybe there were some things that could make him stop hating her.

"What?" he asked with mild curiosity.

"Come on, Caine. Let us have an agreement." her fingers moved slowly down from his shoulder. She took a step closer and leaned over him, letting her hand move along his arm. "Let me give you what you want, and you what I want."

"And what do I want?" Caine spoke, more words than he had said in one sentence that whole night.

"Me"

"You're incorrect" he said, scooting up in the chair.

"To an extent" she said, stepping even closer. "But you _do _want me, and as far as I can tell, it is the only thing, in my power, that I _can _give you." She whispered.

Caine blinked, feeling her fingertips lightly brush the collar of his shirt. He suddenly wondered how she knew about this, where to touch him to make him want her. How did she know where to touch someone, was it something girls just knew?

Because Caine certainly didn't know where to touch her, only from what he had seen in the movies. And he knew that sex certainly wasn't like porn, that was only in movies. Suddenly insecure he moved his hand, using his power to open the blinds.

Soft light flooded into the room, illuminating Diana's face. Her hair was pushed behind her ears, and there were circles under eyes. She looked, sad.

"And what do _you _want" he whispered, regaining his composure and thoughts.

"Here's the deal, we tell no one. We keep it secret." Diana leaned even further over to whisper into his ear.

"What deal? I asked, 'what do you want', _from _me?" Caine shut his eyes softly as he felt Diana move. She slipped her leg next to him, kneeling over him until she was sitting on his lap, facing him. They stayed silent as Caine slowly rested his hands on her thighs.

"Me, I want you." She said, pushing her hand lower. Her fingers moved slowly down to his crotch, brushed over the soft bulge in his jeans before pushing higher to face. In an attempt to stifle a groan, Caine threw his head forward and bit into shoulder, hard.

Diana breathed in sharply at the pain. After a second of stillness, she began to grind herself over him, slowly. She exhaled, becoming more and more anxious, and she felt Caine become harder and harder underneath her. She had always wondered when exactly were men supposed to get a hard-on during foreplay. She mentally noted Caine's arousal, and then began to kiss him. It was the first time she had kissed him since Drake lost his arm. The first time she had really kissed him, knowing the kissing wasn't going to stop.

He met her with equal intensity, but after a few seconds he pulled away, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Diana" he said, and she suddenly realized he hadn't said her name yet tonight.

"Yes, Caine. Yes, I'm ready and want it and all the above." She said hurriedly before moving into to kiss him. But he pushed her back further.

"I don't care if you want it, or are ready and whatnot. I am just letting you know, this deal is a deal. No more saying no. When I want you, I _will _take you." Caine sounded serious. Diana suddenly stared at him.

Caine was always in charge, but in some ways, Diana was. In the romance aspect of their relationship, Diana tended to run it, to kiss him, or give him the okay. Now, he was in charge of her. She would bow to his every whim, and she knew it. She hated it, but in some fucked up way, he had began to reign over her.

She wanted to stop, to tell him hell no, she didn't always have to say yes. That was rape. But she didn't. She couldn't. Because right now, right here- she wanted all of him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.

"I know" she said, slowly trying to get out of her shirt. Caine had only seen her naked once before, and that was over a year ago, and she wasn't even aware of the fact until after. Plus she had had her knees against her chest. Now, Caine was about to see her completely naked, all of her.

As she pulled off her bra, her put his hands on her back, pulling her chest against him. He kissed her again, this time softly. And then he stood up, rather un-smoothly, and managed to hold her up with him. He was still strong, but getting weaker every day. Luckily, she was getting skinnier every day, so the weight and strength usually evened out.

"Keep down" Caine said as he fondled her breasts. He pinched them and squeezed them, not caring if he hurt her at all. Diana stopped moaning, but she continued to gasp every time he touched her skin.

Eventually he put her down, and leaned against the wall. He needed to breath for a second, calm down. Diana didn't. She knelt down and undid his belt. For a moment, Caine hoped she would be giving him fellatio, but he quickly decided against it, knowing he wouldn't last long inside her, and anything to speed that up would be bad. Luckily, Diana only brushed her hand along him, quickly standing up and pulling her hands into his hair.

Diana quickly pulled off her sweat pants before kissing him again. He picked her up again, feeling her sex against his stomach, and walked her over to the desk. They were kissing greedily, not realizing quite what was happening. Caine let go of her with one hand, sitting her on corner of the mahogany structure while he brushed everything off the desk. She laid down and pulled him on top of her.

Caine felt awkward, trying to position himself, but within a few seconds he had it figured out.

It was like something they had never experienced. The feeling of her, the feeling of him. It was all too much to take in. Within a few minutes, Caine came. He scratched her hell out of her shoulder as he did, trying with all his energy to not make a sound.

Diana kissed him again as he slowly pulled out. She wanted to tell Caine how amazing it was, how amazing _he _was, how much she loved him in that moment. But she didn't speak . She knew Caine was worried she hadn't come, worried he hadn't brought her there, but she didn't squelch his fears and tell him she had, twice. Instead, she slowly sat up, and brushed the hair out of his eyes, waiting for a moment before throwing her legs over the desk and standing up. He body was sore, so sore.

Caine stayed for a moment, watching the naked Diana search for her clothes before leaving. As he sat back in his chair, pulling his briefs on, he played over the scene in his head.

The feelings were nothing like masturbation, nothing. How he had not ever had sex before amazed him. It was suddenly as if one could never really live without having enjoyed sex. For a moment, Caine suddenly felt powerful, realizing he had won. He knew Sam and Astrid weren't getting it on. She was a "good girl".

But pushing the thoughts out of his head, Caine sat up. He had maybe six more hours before he had to go, why sleep? He was, for all intents and purposes, in charge of their sex life.

Diana was where he expected her, nestled in her bed. He opened the door and and slid under the covers with her. And again, within a minute, he was riding her harder than the last time. And after that each time harder than the one before.

The first time had been sweet, even caring. Loving.

But now, Caine was out for sex, and he went for it.

Except that last time. That time, they went slowly.

* * *

When Diana woke up, she wasn't surprised to be alone. She hadn't imagined Caine would spend the night with her.

She showered, got dressed, did the routine. She had to go ration the food now, prepare for the day.

But as she passed Caine's door, she saw a note nailed to the wood.

**I will win this time.**

Diana folded the note in half and tucked it into her pocket. What had she expected? Of course he was going to do something crazy. She only hoped he would be okay.

* * *

Caine stumbled on a rock. The coyotes had found him unusual for the many dark hickeys he had covering any exposed skin.

They were serious now though, they were demanding.

Caine was more serious now too. More serious than ever, and that was the only thought to pass his mind as he walked into the cave.


	13. The Long One

**S****o this is a much longer chapter, and I wasn't sure if I should split it into two or not. But I don't write these ahead of time, when I get around to writing a chapter I publish it immediately afterwards (usually w/o rereading, so sorry about grammar and such). But I didn't want to wait and save the chapter because knowing me- I'd probably end up losing it.**

**So have fun with an EXTRA long one, I've been inspired recently so they might be coming more and more frequently.**

Thanks for ALL the great reviews, and keep it up. PLEASE!!! (advise is appreciated)  


**It is really encouraging and inspiring. Thank you all so much, for everything. **

_[I own no rights, etc. ]_

* * *

Three days since she had handed him control, let him control her. Three days since she had known Caine.

They found him lonely, alone on the road, half dead and wholly out of his mind. Diana knew where he had been the moment she saw him; she knew it was true before Drake even said it. Caine had been to the cave.

"Put him in the dining hall!" Diana shouted to the kids dragging Caine's almost limp form in. Standing by the wall, Drake threw open the doors to the dining hall with his whip-like arm. Caine was dragged in, and lain out on one of the tables.

There was a funny smell in the room, something dirty, dead, and maybe even burnt- coming from Caine.

"Caine" Diana said urgently, running towards the table. "Drake, do something!" Diana shouted as she tried to put her hand on Caine's arm.

He was screaming, something incoherent. Caine's body was sweaty; his shirt was covered in dirt and bits of blood. Caine's arms flailed as he shouted.

"Caine" Diana said, almost inaudibly. She was horrified. This man, animal, in front of her wasn't Caine. _What happened?_

No one moved, the room was silent apart from Caine himself. Diana put her hand over his forehead, feeling the perspiration there, noting the heat. In a moment of quiet, Caine looked up to meet her eyes. For an instant, so quickly Diana doubted she had seen it all, Caine smiled. His beautiful dark eyes glinted with joy, and then it was gone, filled with something Diana couldn't describe. There was no exact word for what emotions he was showing. _Crazy,_ she thought, _he's going crazy. _

Diana brushed the matted hair off his face, and leaned her cheek close, wanting to touch him.

But then it started again, the screaming.

"Gaiaphage" he shouted, arching his back and whipping out his limps.

Diana snapped herself backwards, hitting a lone bench. The shouting continued, again with no one else speaking. Diana was still, her mind racing. Thoughts of Caine, of what had happened, of _Gaiaphage_…

"Drake" Diana said after a moment, realizing he was ignoring her. His tall body was standing vertical, a difference from his usual casual lean against the wall.

"What am I supposed to do?" No one else would have noticed, but Diana did. She knew Drake well enough to know his moods. His tone sound leisurely, his posture less than anxious, but there was something soft in his voice, something almost…worried. Diana evaluated Drake with a small thought: worried, giddy, happy, scared, pleasured, and indifferent. Not _quite _what she had expected, but she didn't pay attention.

"Drake" Diana almost growled, Caine's shouts getting louder, "he _will _be back." Diana stepped further away from Caine, who had suddenly lifted his own body into the air and thrown himself onto the floor.

Thinking of the consequences if he didn't help now, and wondering if what Diana said was true, Drake blinked.

Drake slowly stepped forward, uncurling his arm and looping it around Diana's shoulder, the slap stinging the wound he had left not a fortnight ago. But he didn't cut her this time, instead pulled her back.

"I thought _you_ were the nurse" He said coyly.

"Oh, Drake! You remembered! Do you also remember how Caine's eyes narrow when he finds out someone betrayed him?" Diana had to force herself to smirk.

Drake didn't move, but his grip on Diana tightened until she couldn't ignore the pain. Gasping and grabbing her shoulder, Diana had to lean against a nearby table for support. Drake let her go, and stepped away. The moment he took those beady eyes off her to look at the other kids, the room became a rush of teenagers running in and out. Kids ran in with medical supplies from the nurse's office, some kids were carrying water; others were trying to control Caine. It was as if they all had only begun to work when Drake gave the okay.

"Better leave, Ladris. It's about to get graphic in here." Drake said, while telling some kids to go lock the doors to the dining hall.

"Nothing I haven't seen, Drake. I know what blood looks like."

"I wasn't talking about blood." Drake said to her, barley above a whisper. Then: "take his clothes off, NOW". There was the sound of a shirt ripping, and then scissors cutting open jeans. "Watch the wounds." Drake ordered.

Diana was close to adding some snide comment when a voice cut in, "what wounds?"

The voice was soft, but the question caught the room of guard. Silence again, apart from Caine's screeching.

"What?" Diana snapped after a moment, regaining her composure.

"Um, there are no cuts on his body" a girl said loudly.

"There was blood," Drake said, leaning over the circle of people around Caine to see him.

"He healed" Diana said, slowly walking over to Caine. With one look, three kids moved to give her a spot by the table.

Sure enough, Caine was there, lying down completely naked, his strong body rough and dirty, but there were no cuts. Only dried blood.

In a moment of hysteria, Diana began to laugh.

Drake shot her a look, which was hardly enough to make her stop. But she did shut her mouth. "Jealous, Drake? You didn't get that power." Diana said between breaths. _She_ was jealous Caine could supposedly "heal".

"_I _didn't get hurt" Drake said through closed teeth.

"Watch it!" Someone shouted as a table flew up in the air and came crashing down on the other side of the large dining hall.

Caine threw his hands back down. "Do what you can" Diana said to whoever was listening. Apparently Drake was, because he immediately began to bark out orders again.

Diana turned, and left the room, feeling queasy. She stepped out the entrance to Coates and onto the grass, kicking off her sneakers. She had never used to wear sneakers, but she had started around the beginning of the FAYZ. There wasn't much choice when she wanted comfort. Her flip-flops were too hazardous in case of a fight, and being barefoot was no option, plus boots don't equal comfort. She hated sneakers though, always had, always will.

The air was crisp, clean. Caine was back, no matter how worse off he was, it made her feel better to know where he was. Silently, Diana cursed herself for not realizing it sooner. Of course Caine had gone to see "The Darkness", he had been planning on going for days.

"How could he not tell me?" She said aloud.

Caine had been planning to go every time he had met privately with Drake, trying to get information from him.

Thoughts raced through her head, but they stopped as she heard Caine's screams from inside the building.

It was times like these that she wanted Computer Jack to be with her, not for moral support, no, but for advice on Caine. Smart as he was technologically, he also knew a thing or two about medicine. He might know how to treat Caine. Diana didn't, and leaving Drake in charge wasn't the brightest idea. But she couldn't handle that in there.

Because that thing, that thing in there- that wasn't Caine.

* * *

It was raining heavily. Thunder rattled the walls and lighting struck the ocean. Drake turned from the window and smiled that wicked smile. Diana didn't back away scared like most people would, instead she gave him a small smirk and rolled her eyes.

Drake shrugged and spat out the nail he had bitten. "So you're saying you don't like it." He said it as a statement.

"Me? I love it, makes you gruffer, sexier. I'm sure Astrid will want to jump your bones the moment she sees you."

Drake nodded absentmindedly, "it makes _you _want to jump my bones?" Diana ignored him. "Watch it, Diana" he said, chewing on another nail.

Diana looked up from where she sat, legs crossed, on her bed. A loop of brown hair fell from behind her ears and in front of her face, half-blocking the bitchy look she was giving to Drake.

"The blonde is hot, all tan and leggy, maybe even prettier than you." Drake watched as her brow furrowed, annoyed.

"Go steal her from Sam then for all I care. You both can live a short, unhappy life together with lots of tan, long-legged babies." Diana mumbled, tucking the loose hair behind her ear again.

This time, Drake ignored her, running his hands over his new haircut. It had taken maybe an hour to get an inch cut off. Panda had done it, cut Drake's hair. Panda had done it slowly, with perfection, hoping to god that Drake wouldn't kill him. But by the end, Drake had been so annoyed at how long the simple haircut took; he would rather have had Panda shave his head

Drake was glad he didn't though. So what if Diana didn't like it, why would she? The girl was a bitch. She probably could never admire another face after falling for Caine. Drake sometimes doubted that Diana even liked Caine. Drake sometimes thought that the feeling was one-sided, that Diana was using Caine.

He did look handsome though, handsomer at least. Drake liked it. His hair now brushed over his shoulders lightly like one of those actors in the movies.

"I am going to sleep" Diana said after another roll of thunder shook the academy.

"Fine" Drake said, bored. He spit another nail on the floor. Diana didn't bother getting mad at him for spitting on her floor, what good would it do? She was scared of Drake, more scared than ever. Now Caine was gone, probably not forever, but for now. Which should have put Diana in charge, but in the end the position had been temporarily filled by Drake Merwin.

And Diana knew better than to mess with Drake Merwin, not without Caine behind her.

Drake left, leaving the door open which he knew was more of a statement than actually slamming it shut.

Diana uncrossed her legs and got off the bed. As she walked over to shut the door she looked over at her laptop on the desk. So what if it had no internet, she could still play solitaire and pinball, which seemed to be the only form of entertainment these days. But she didn't want to play a game. Instead, she glanced at the time in the corner of the screen. Only seven. Bug was due home soon.

She didn't really want to sleep, no, she wanted to be there when Bug came back. He was due back any minute, and since she didn't feel his presence, she knew she had time. Drake was probably giddy that Diana wouldn't be there for Bug, but she was going to disappoint him.

Straightening her new uniform- her old one was too big now that Diana had lost weight, leading to Diana having to get a new one from the storage closet- Diana slipped down the empty hall.

Bug had been spending most of his time in town, sneaking around Sam and the likes. He hadn't gotten any interesting information recently, just that they were a bit better off than the Coates kids, but Bug was still sent back every day dare he miss something important.

Though Diana doubted Sam would plan an attack on Caine's folk, he didn't even know Caine was hurt, but he wouldn't attack regardless. It wasn't like Sam.

But you never know, maybe word had gotten out about Caine and Sam figured he could go take over Coates, "help" some of the academy kids. Like they didn't choose to be here or something- once a bad kid, always a bad kid. Diana was amazed that none of the Coates kids living in Perdidio Beach had not rebelled yet. It was bound to happen sometime.

Drake rolled his eyes when Diana walked into "Drake's Office" the old counseling room. Diana specifically remembered one of the few times she had been here. It was usually Drake in counseling.

The shrink was scared of what Caine was doing in his small group. He was scared of Caine, of Diana, of Drake… and when all three of them were having late night meetings in closets and empty classrooms, with an occasional hole in the plaster come morning, well...he had a right to be worried.

Diana leaned against the wall, crossing her legs while Drake sat in the large office chair. Panda, the only other one there, was standing nervously by the door. He was always nervous.

Behind Drake sat the rack of guns. Diana knew he carried two, possibly more, on his body at all times. That didn't scare her nearly as much as seeing all nine of them together did.

The door shut, and Bug appeared.

"Same thing, Drake. Sam woke up late; all worried about what he had to do that day. Some young kid died, another fell off a swing and broke her leg, which that nurse took care of. Astrid was with Sam the first half of the day, but they separated while she took care of the retard and Sam went with his surfer friend." Bug said quickly.

"How did the kid die?" Drake asked after a second.

"I think it was asthma attack-" Bug was cut off. A shout came from the Dining Hall.

"Caine" Diana whispered under her breath. The name brought a shiver to her spine.

"He's having _another_ nightmare." Drake almost whined. It had been almost four days since Caine had woken up screaming. This had been a relief from the constant screams that had racked their brains for the past three weeks. But now he was at it again.

"Louder, this time" Diana noted, ignoring Drake's twitch of his whip.

"Who knew he _could_ scream any louder." Drake muttered, but Diana's look was enough to shut him up. He wasn't scared of her anymore, not really, not like before. But there was still leverage, the whore still had leverage.

Bug pushed through the kids gathering in the hallways. They too, had noticed this screaming was worse than before.

A path was formed behind Bug, so Drake, Panda, and Diana passed through it. Suddenly every kid on Caine's "team" was in the Dining Hall. Caine was lying on the floor, having rolled off the mattress that had been placed in a corner. His body was twisted in sheets, his limbs thrashing out sharply.

"Hungry in the dark! Hungry in the dark!" Caine screamed his voice chilling.

"Caine, stop it!" Diana snapped, kneeling by his twisting form and trying to steady him.

"Gaiaphage!" Caine bellowed, throwing his hands in air. The scene was unlike something Diana had ever seen: Caine had sat up quickly, staring straight at one of the kids, _Gaiaphage,_ Caine called him. And then the kid was up, flying through the air as fast as a cannon ball.

Chunk hit the brick wall with an extreme amount of force- enough to go straight through the stone surface, into a hallway and back into another brick wall. Caine was suddenly silent.

Diana's shapely mouth fell open in a perfect O. There were gasps from the other students, even some sobbing. Drake sped over to the wreckage, himself gasping at the damage. Diana knew Chunk was dead. She didn't even have to see him to know. She remembered the first day in town, when Caine had shook the cross down to hit that one kid in the shoulder. Cookie or something. That was bad, this-

-this was worse.

The sound of the church collapsing was bad, this was worse.

There was no word to describe what had just happened. The horribleness of it all.

After checking to see if Caine was contained- he was- Diana stood up and walked through the wreckage to where Chunk had landed. His corpse was distorted, like those ones you see in _really_ corny movies, not even the good corny ones.

Only this wasn't a movie, this was real. And it was far from corny- it was disgusting.

Diana could barley breathe, she had to put a hand on a nearby doorway to stop herself from falling. She must have stood there for five minutes, because when she finally regained enough composure to turn around, the Dining Hall was completely empty. All the kids were gone.

"Panda," Diana said softly to the small boy standing by Drake, "keep everyone away from here, and get one of those big kids to come help. My orders." Panda nodded quickly and hurried out of the mess.

"Bug, start cleaning, I'll help you in a moment." Bug nodded as well, before running to a nearby trashcan to throw up whatever his meager dinner had been.

"That. Was. Awesome." Drake said after a second. His face was purely happy, giddy.

"Glad you enjoy something" Diana muttered, trying not to scream at him. Sometimes she forgot how sick Drake really was.

"Let's get Caine out of here" she said.

"Are you kidding? I don't want to go near him. Look at Chunk." Drake sounded easy, relaxed. Sick.

"I've_ seen _Chunk" Diana said through gritted teeth. She almost growled she was so mad.

"We'll take him to Mose's cottage" she said, this time with more patience.

Drake ignored her, but when Panda showed up with Mike, one of the tall, strong, thirteen year-old humans, Drake moved to help him with Caine. Mike was so scared he was shaking, but Diana gave him one of her looks, the dangerous, I know how to hurt you/I know you are imagining me naked look. It was a good one, good enough to make Mike move, quickly.

With help from Drake, Mike was able to get Caine slung over his shoulder. Out cold, Caine was easy to control, but his dead-weight was heavier than Mike had expected, and the boy stumbled a bit, but he was able to make it to the cottage with Drake's help.

When they came back, Mike ran straight to his room, and Drake listened when Diana told him to help Bug clean up. She didn't say it like that though; she had implied that by cleaning the Dining Hall and etc. he would get to do whatever he wanted with Chunk's corpse. Do whatever Drake did with corpses. Sadist.

That made Drake jump at the chance to help Bug.

* * *

Diana did not sleep at all that night. She was out of bed by dawn, pacing the empty hallways in her silk pajamas, her hair knotted and messy down her back. She hadn't planned to go to the cottage.

Diana didn't want to see Caine, not really. She had always been scared of him, he was always scary, but not like this. Now he was out of his mind, which made him more dangerous than ever.

The air was crisp in the morning, the grass wet from the thunderstorm the night before. Diana wasn't cold, but chilled. She stepped through the cottage carefully, trying not to wake Caine. He was asleep on the uncomfortable bed, looking angelic. His cheeks were taught, exposing formed cheekbones. He looked pale, and his dark hair enforced that, caressing his face softly. He was really beautiful.

Diana sat down on the edge of the bed and turned to face the window. She sat there for long time, staring out at the rising sun. She should have been scared of Caine, but she wasn't. He looked so peaceful now, it was hard to imagine him freaking out, hurting Chunk. But the fear was still in her mind, tugging at her senses.

"Diana" he said.

Diana gasped, snapping her head around. For a moment she was relieved, so happy; but then she remembered before. It had already happened, twice. Caine had a few minutes, maybe even a few hours of lucidity.

The first time he was able to talk, he didn't remember much. He didn't remember the FAYZ, he just remembered Sam, and he wanted to kill Sam. It was all he talked about for the few minutes he was coherent. Sam.

The second time Caine had lasted a whole afternoon, but this time he was listening to Diana tell him a story He had listened, but that was about it, not much talking. He was able to understand though, which was all that mattered.

But each time, he wasn't really there, Diana felt it, felt his power. He was never really the same as before- but, he was always better when he wasn't screaming and throwing kids through walls.

He wasn't the same this time though, still- it was better. At least he knew who she was.

It looked like he had never been asleep at all. He just had that talent. "Diana" he said again.

Calming herself, Diana tried to remember he would be gone soon, gone again. This wasn't Caine.

"What?" She snapped, keeping her back straight. Caine sat up a bit, just enough to grab her shoulder. Caine pulled Diana down to lay on him, her back on his chest. "We have some kind of deal, don't we?" he asked.

Diana almost laughed. The nerve he had.

To be lucid for one moment only to want sex. But Diana wasn't surprised; she knew her mistake would have consequences. One night of pure lust had gotten her nowhere. Caine had gone mad, Drake was in charge, and she was left nowhere.

"Deal?" She asked innocently.

Maybe even a few minutes, she thought.

It was risky, so risky. Caine could, might, kill her any second. But she needed something, she needed to feel, and if that meant getting her bones crushed, it might be just what she needed.

_Okay_, _that is a little extreme_ Diana thought to herself. She wasn't suicidal or anything, but part of that was true. She wanted to feel something besides anger. Plus, she loved Caine. Maybe. She still couldn't decide how she felt. But there was definitely some feeling there.

"Yes, that one that says I can have you whenever…" Caine laced a finger through Diana's hair, and lowered his voice, "…wherever, I want."

Caine wasn't thinking, not like he was being stupid and not thinking of consequences, but he literally wasn't thinking. In his sudden moment of lucidity, he remembered Diana, and that night. That night she had offered him a bargain. It was all he remembered, not really his name or Sam or anything.

He was a mess. Diana felt it, knew it. But she didn't argue it.

Diana leaned her head up to kiss him. It was an awkward position, and she had to turn around to get somewhat comfortable. Straddling him, Diana finally pulled away and looked into his eyes. They were blurred.

"Caine" she said sharply, "there is no deal. It's off."

Whether he had heard her or not, Caine didn't answer. Instead he kept kissing her, kept at it. His mouth tasted disgusting, but Diana wasn't too sure how she tasted either.

She didn't care though, she just wanted to do it, to get it over with, to make it last.

She didn't know what she wanted.

Caine moved his tongue against hers, rhythmically.

Caine breathed her in, she smelt so good, so clean. Like soap and vanilla candles. She was so pretty, so pretty. He loved her so much.

All he wanted was to have her, to lie with her, to love her. He would marry her in an instant, have her children. Mr. and Mrs.…his thoughts trailed off. He couldn't remember his name. Thinking about it he didn't know what to call her, except maybe baby. He had said her name only a few second ago, what was it? He remembered the deal; he remembered how good it felt to be inside her, he remembered how she had moved under him. But he couldn't remember her name again.

He sat up, pulling her chest closer to him. She pulled off his clothes, quickly, knowing the lucidity would pass. And then there she was, on top of him, feeling him, touching him, loving- just like they both wanted.

"Caine" she breathed into his ear, rocking up and down. The word flitted through his mind like a burst of flame- "Diana" he said, but then it was gone again.

There were no words in his head, no thoughts. Only this, only reality, what was happening right here, right now.

He didn't recognize this girl, didn't know her. She looked so beautiful in the daylight. So what if she was too thin and pale, so what if he didn't know her name, so what if her hair was unruly, messy, and knotted? She was still so beautiful. The way her mouth moved when she moaned, her perfectly soft lips parting, and the way her eyes shut when he hit a certain spot.

She was so perfect to him.

But he was far from perfect, to her.

* * *

It was the first night, the first night in a long time in which Sam had slept at his own, make-shift house. Actually it was an office. Why would he sleep there normally? Not when he could sleep so close to Astrid. Sure, she never let him into her bed, not like that. But being as close as he could, that was all that mattered.

But he was busy tonight, too busy for her. He needed some quiet, quiet to think things out.

There was still Caine and Diana, Sam didn't know how he was going to deal with them. Plus there was always Drake.

Drake was the kind that gave Sam nightmares. There were times when Drake had been alone with Astrid, times where she had barley been able to avoid a torturous, agonizing death.

Drake was scary. No other word for it.

Now, Sam needed to decide what to do with scary. What to do with Caine: leave him alone, attack, what?

Sam must have imagined that in the window right there, it was impossible that she could be here. Nevertheless, Sam jumped from his chair and put his hands at the ready, silently listening for any noise.

But nothing happened. The night was still. As still as any early January night in the FAYZ. But Sam dared not move, not breathe.

Turning slowly on his toes to face the door, he blew the bangs out of his eyes. His hair was way too long these days.

He didn't lower his hands when she came in; instead, he stayed still searching her dark eyes for a hint.

She wore a new outfit, something that looked like it came from a Buffy episode. Sam wanted to smile; it made her look even hotter- if that was possible. Decked out in tight jeans, black boots, and a leather jacket, she expressed all kinds of arousal. But Sam didn't think about that.

"You can lower your weapons, I come in peace." She said barley above a whisper. There was something wrong.

"What do you want, where's Caine?" Sam asked sharply.

"Caine's not here." She said, taking a step towards Sam. He raised his brows; she hadn't answered the whole question.

"I need help, okay?" She said. After a few more seconds, Sam put his hands down and sat back in his chair, motioning for her to join him. But Diana shook her head, letting her long hair spill over her shoulders.

"I'm hoping this will be a quick visit" she smirked.


	14. What Caine Doesn't Know

**What Caine Doesn't Know**

"Caine doesn't know, and won't know" Sam asked again for the fifth time that night. Diana nodded, letting her legs slips from the table. Sam held out the bag and she took it, standing up. Sam looked good, better than Caine- that was a given. But Sam didn't look great, no one did these days.

"No, he never will" Diana said again, reaching for the Chocolate Power bar that Sam was offering her. She shoved the food into her pocket and stepped to the door.

"Sam" she said, staring at the floor. "Thank you" Diana came closer and put a hand on his cheek, just like the last time they had been together. She slowly kissed him, a friendly gesture. Sam stood still and waited until Diana was standing in the doorway when he spoke.

"Diana" he said, and she turned around. There wasn't much to say, nothing seemed right.

_Be careful, stay safe.  
Good luck.  
It will all work out.  
I'm here when you need me. _

Diana understood that, that he couldn't say anything really, no witty lines, or romantic undertones. No heroic gestures and evil squirms. There was nothing to say, but to let her know that he meant to say it all, and yet he meant none of it.

"Until we meet again" she said with a whisper, smirking a bit. Turning on her booted heel, Diana strode out, onto the street. She walked around the outskirts of town, and up to Coates, sneaking her way. Drake was still somewhere.

And no way, would Diana ever live if she ran into Drake this moment.

* * *

There was no way Caine could seem to calm down. No one bothered with him anymore, only Diana. She was the only one who even ran to help him when the roof flew off the cottage. Not even her calming voice could soothe him. He was really slipping. Completely unstrung. It was becoming a burden, having to take care of someone so unwound.

He had been this way for about two and half months now. Diana was beginning to accept that he might never be normal again- either that or it would be years before he finally was able to have a straight, sane thought.

Diana was sick of it, all the screaming, the annoying phrases that seemed to play on repeat. What killed her the most was that she didn't understand what Caine was saying.

She didn't know what his phrases meant, what he had done in the caves.

Now it wouldn't kill her as much, not knowing. It was only so painful because Drake knew. Or pretended to know. She wasn't sure, but Diana had an inkling that Drake didn't know much more than she did.

Obviously, he knew a very significant more, considering she knew _nothing._ But Drake had been there for a day, at most.

Caine was there for three.

Speaking of Drake, she had wanted to see him.

There were three places where Drake could be, Liza Corcoran's room, where Drake had been getting off lately, his office, or the field practicing his aim with his whip.

No one on the way to Liza's room had seen Drake, so Diana went along to check each location.

Liza had a bedroom a floor above Diana. She used to share it with a sophomore, but she had been fifteen when the FAYZ began. Now Liza was alone. Except for the nights when Drake was with her.

Not that she was Drake's girlfriend or anything. In Diana's mind, and it was probably true, Drake was forcing (but probably not totally raping) Liza in order to appease his teenage needs. Drake, no matter how closely he resembled the devil, was still a growing teenager, and he had hormones. And Liza was hot.

Diana threw open the wooden door, to find Liza sitting by the window. Her long, blonde hair was pulled back into a French braid, and her face was free of any makeup. Liza snapped her attention to the door, her blue eyes shining with tears.

"Is he here?" Diana asked sharply, not caring to comfort Liza. Liza had always been an airhead anyways. Bitchy too, like valley girl bitchy. Not like Diana bitchy. But even Liza didn't deserve what Drake was probably making her do.

Liza shook her head softly, "I haven't seen him since this morning" she said.

"Did he say where he was going" Diana asked, rather rudely.

Liza shook her head again, a lone tear escaping and making a slow path down her cheek. Diana suddenly felt sad, almost guilty. But she wasn't going to deal with Liza now. She chose to stay at Coates, whatever may happen. And she had to expect something

Diana turned on her heel.

"Diana" Liza said suddenly, so softly Diana thought she had imagined it."I want…I mean I hope that Caine will be okay." Liza said.

Diana turned her head and frowned, and Liza corrected herself. "I can't wait until Caine comes back." She said, adding a small amount of cheer to her voice.

Diana held back a smirk. No matter how awful Caine was, he was a saint compared to Drake.

The next place Diana went was Drake's office. Empty. But on her way to the field, she saw Drake in the kitchen, searching the house for food.

"Drake" Diana said coyly, drawing out each sound.

"What the hell do you want?" He spat, not turning to look at her.

"You know the punishment for stealing food" she said, teasingly.

"Go rot in hell" he muttered, his whip uncoiling from his waist.

"Creative, Merwin. That sure was one of our best. Golly jee, I just don't know what to say." She stepped forward and the pulled herself up to sit on a counter.

Drake's arm twitched very noticeably, but he ignored her. He was too hungry to concentrate on Diana.

"We should talk" she said seriously, flipping her glossy hair over her shoulder.

"Oh, Diana" he said quickly, turning around to stand a few feet from her. "I'm sorry I can't appease your dying fantasy, but I already have a date for prom." He said.

That one was slightly creative, Diana admitted to herself. Drake had to be in a mood if he was thinking that hard.

"Yeah I heard you're taking Corcoran" she said smugly, giving him a smirk.

Drake didn't answer, but moved to strike her. He was really angry.

"It's about food!"Diana said quickly, holding up her hands to block her face. Drake immediately stopped and lowered his whip.

"I think we should hit Perdidio Beach. Take the Supermarket. You take a team, maybe Bug and a few people. You know, I mean, you c_an_ do it, right?" she said, standing straight and tugging her dress down.

"Sure" Drake said, mulling it over. "I can do it, and I will." He spat. Diana suddenly missed the days when Drake would bait her, touch her, and annoy her. Now, he just scared her.

"Good" she said, "I'll put a team together, go in tomorrow night" she said.

Drake nodded, "I can do it by morning. Is Bug asleep?" Drake asked, biting a nail. Diana nodded, they had been working Bug so hard these days, he was out cold the moment he came home.

"Get him up, and bring Panda, Mike, Stephen, and I guess Mesh." Drake said, slauntering off to his office.

"What about Amy?" Diana said, looking after Drake's shadow leave the kitchen. After a moment of consideration Drake called back, "yeah her too."

Drake must really be hungry, Diana thought.

Bug was the hardest to wake up, but in they all came:  
Mike, with his above-average height, and Stephen with his own power: roaring loud enough to cause crazy sound waves, destroying things in their path, only he was a two bar- his voice carried only ten feet around him.  
Then there was Mesh, the kid named for his mass amount of acne- the only other one in the school that could be considered sadist.  
Amy, with her fire hydrant hair and heavy eyeliner, could see in the dark as well as during the day. And she saw _extremely_ well during the day.  
Finally Bug, the invisible man, appeared, groggy and yawning.

Diana sat down in the corner of the office and watched Drake begin his planning. Bug was the first to leave, while the others got ready. By the time Bug came back, dawn was approaching.

"We have an hour before first light" Amy said, watching the sky.

"Let's go" Drake said, handing them each his weapon of choice, a gun.

As Drake's soldiers filed out, Drake stopped and grabbed Diana by the waist with his one arm.

"You _sure_ you don't want to come" he purred, a note of hate in his voice that made Diana fearful.

Drake was back to playing with her, but it wouldn't last. Not once Caine was back.

"Oh look: Drake is scared he can't do it without me." Diana said, smirking. Drake was in a better mood, probably awaiting some decent food.

"Caine can't, and you spend your days spoon feeding him and changing his diaper- or are you really just taking advantage of his usually clothe less body?" Drake said sharply, letting her go. There was no more fun in his voice.

"Like you take advantage of Liza?" Diana said, looking him in the eye. Drake resisted striking her, and instead walked out of the room. Amy was right, the sun was coming up soon.

"He is going to wake up, you know!" Diana called after him, reminding Drake what he was already very wary of.

* * *

And he did. Caine, he woke up. A few days later. Diana was so sure it was one of those few lucid moments, but he seemed real this time. He was back.

Unfortunately, that meant getting right to work. It was so odd, Caine coming back. He had missed out on a lot, he had forgotten some. And like Diana suspected within the first few minutes of talking, Caine had forgotten about her. About them. About sex.

She had asked him if he remembered what happened, and based on his confused look, she had realized he didn't.

She didn't know what he remembered, possibly none of their rocky so-called relationship.

He might not remember the almost sex scene in the kitchen in their place in Perdidio Beach, or the let down when Diana had first come onto Caine and he turned her down in the bathroom.

He may not remember that full on makeout session in her bedroom, all covered in Drake's blood.

He didn't remember the last kiss they had before attacking Sam, the small peck. He might have forgotten

And he had completely forgotten the first time. The one time where she had offered herself to him, and he took her in exchange for something greater. Power over her. And he took her, over and over, making her scream his name in that thin line between pleasure and pain.

And he had forgotten that last time, the time while he was still crazy. That small amount of lucidity. It might have not been an ideal shag, right then. But it was Diana's favorite time, apart from their first.

That release was what she had needed so badly, that kept up tension since Caine had gone mad. Then she had needed him to comfort her, however he could.

But Caine didn't remember that. And after what happened with Sam, and what he now knew, she wasn't going to tell Caine.

Instead, she turned around while he got dressed, and didn't touch his neck where she had left all those hickeys so long ago. No, instead she acted like she expected Diana would in her situation. A time when Diana had never come close to having sex with Caine, where the attraction was dismal.

And as she walked to the Academy's main building to tell Drake the good news -well not good on Drake's part- she noticed Caine lusting after her. The way her hips swivled when she moved made him express a small groan. How badly he wanted to just grab those hips and…

She shook her head when she heard the noise. Maybe this secrecy on her part, maybe it was for the best…maybe it would all work out.

"Yeah, right" she said audibly, opening the side door the building.

Watching her, Caine could imagine a line of freckles that lead four dots down her upper quads. But how could he know that? It was just his imagination.

* * *

**A/N: **

**1. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. PLEASE. I will continue writing without them, but I can honestly swear- I will not try hard and they will be crappy the less reviews. PLEASE, it makes my day.**

**2. This is a REALLY quick update, I always figured people post like once a month, but reading some other stories, I see people updated quick, sometimes even daily. So I think I will try to do that more, now that LIES is almost out.**

**3. So, I have moved the rating from T to M? What do you guys think, I mean- the sex scene won't probably be much more graphic. They will, but not like pornwise like some I have read, so I always thought it was T not M. But reading some T's now, they are only cursing. Mine is more, so I moved it up. Not sure what you guys think though- so PLEASE add input.**

**4. Thank you, you all mean so much**


	15. And HUNGER Begins

He was on the grass, lying out in the sun. Finally eating something and keeping it down was one thing that eased his paleness, and at last the sickly tinge to his skin had gone, but he was still pale in all literalness. He didn't need anyone to think he had been hidden up inside for three months straight. If Sam saw him like this, and he would if Caine's plans worked out all right, Sam would put two and two together, thus realizing that Caine had been rendered incapable for some time.

Caine wasn't going to let that happen. He knew how much of his power was based on his appearance. The controlled, dominate, powerful leader couldn't seem vulnerable. He had to keep the fear, keep the fear maintained in everyone.

Except these days, the fear was less. Caine had gone to Diana, having her give him a play by play of everything that had happened the past few months.

She had told him everything he had asked, and her answers told him all that she hadn't said directly. She had taken care of him; Drake had disappeared, living by his own standards as the leader while Diana cared for Caine. And because of that, Caine wasn't sure if she was scared of him or not. She didn't seem to be.

_And she would be scared, _he thought, _if something hadn't happened that night I can't remember. _

He remembered the battle. The probably now infamous Sam vs. Caine face-off, the Temple's (though he still technically called himself Soren) at war. He remembered every second so clearly.

He remembered the moment that Diana had yelled for Sam, was about to tell him how to not poof. He remembered the instant he heard her scream when he threw her into a wall. He remembered her words after the battle, as he stood by the stairs pleading silently with her to stay. He didn't want her, be he didn't know what he would do without her.

_The bad girl belongs with the bad boy_ she had said. Caine wasn't surprised when she told Sam that, he wasn't surprised when she kissed Sam, and he wasn't surprised when she averted his gaze when she came back to him.

But no matter how much he cared for her, that love was tainted with thoughts of power. Caine lost sight of Diana and concentrated on Sam, on the Gaiaphage. He was furious with Diana for her betrayal, and that anger mixed with current affairs of planning his meeting with the darkness only pushed the two away.

He remembers not talking to her for days on end, and noticing how she seethed every time she passed by his closed door. He could hear her pause outside more than once, hoping the door would open, his way of inviting her in, but he didn't. Then she would swear and walk back down the hall. She began to hate him because he wouldn't forgive her.

And then he left. The last thing he remembers clearly was walking down the hall, confident on his way out of Coates. That was it. He left a note for Diana on his door. He remembered passing by the office and looking in. Everything that had previously been on the desk had been brushed onto the floor.

He forgot why, but that was unimportant, he remembered thinking he should tell Diana he was leaving. But why would he want to do that? Now he couldn't remember why he told Diana after ignoring her all week.

Then he wondered why he wasn't in his office to begin with. Why had he walked down the hall from another destination? _Unimportant._

But he still didn't understand- why was Diana not scared of him like she once was?

Something had happened that night; she must have confronted him directly. He could envision her coming into his office her long hair brushed behind her ears. _She must have apologized._

He sat up, shaking the grass from his bare back. He wasn't as comfortable with his shirt off now, not like he use to be. He was thin now, he didn't like the way his ribs showed instead of his muscles. He hated the hollow of his cheeks, the way his eyes began to bug out. He hated the way the pain in his stomach, the emptiness, never seemed to go away.

The sun was beginning to set, Drake was back. Caine could hear the crunch of gravel in the driveway.

He was excited.

* * *

Diana paced back and forth, beginning to undo and redo the buttons on her uniform. She was tired, and hungry, but none of these emotions were exactly strange. These days they seemed to be the only thing she felt.

Besides Caine.

She thought about him a lot, about what he might do, what he might remember, what was going to happen next.

He was outside now, she could see him get up and shake the loose grass from his back. On his shoulder was a small scar he had obtained in his fight with Sam, a scar she hadn't noticed until the other day.

It was protruding now, dark against his pale skin. Caine pulled his shirt back on, walking up and through a side door.

Outside a car pulled into the driveway. Diana saw it, a big black car. From the front window, she could see Panda, turning off the car and strapping the keys onto his jeans. The back door opened and Drake came out.

Diana watched him, surprised when he motioned for Bug. Beside Drake, Bug came out holding a young girl by her collar. She was short, young, and scared. Diana hadn't been there when Caine asked Drake to go somewhere, but she had a feeling that Drake's mission had nothing to do with kidnapping someone.

_He must have picked up a stray. _Diana watched the girl as Bug half pushed half dragged her to the entrance of Coates.

Diana looked out the window to the right where they had disappeared into the building. Glancing to the left she noticed Caine jogging down to the headmaster's bungalow and then back up to the school. He had slipped on another shirt.

She stared out onto the grass for a few seconds when Caine passed her room on his way to Drake.

"They brought someone else" she said to Caine as his footsteps paused by her open door, "a girl, twelve, thirteen."

Caine didn't say anything, but seemed to mull that over. Then: "are you coming?"

She followed him to the dining room where Drake and the rest sat on a table. The girl was shaking, suddenly noticing Caine. She eyed him wearily, watching his hands and then his eyes and then his hands again. Caine observed her gaze. How did she know to look at his hands?

"Drake" he said, "did everything go accordingly?"

Drake nodded grimly. "Except for this" he nodded toward the girl, and then looked back to Caine. "She was right by the power plant."

Diana's breath caught in her throat, _what does Caine want with the power plant?_

"Well?" Caine said, sitting on a lone chair. He looked at the girl directly, waiting. She didn't move.

"Can you speak?" Diana said rudely when the girl didn't answer Caine.

The girl then blinked, "oh,. I-I'm Orsay" she said quietly.

"Orsay" Caine said softly, listening to the name again.

"She was in my dreams, in my head, I saw her" Drake said, leaning closer to the girl. He glared at her with hatred, the deep kind of hatred he held for Sam…or Diana.

Finally Orsay looked behind Caine to see Diana. She gave her a strange look, one that made Diana uneasy.

"Diana" Caine said, not looking at her, "read her, let's see."

Drake had said something about her being in his head and him waking up and she was nearby. Diana could imagine being in Drake's head, she almost felt bad for the girl…almost.

"Diana" Caine whispered to her when she didn't immediately touch the girl.

"Quit stalling" Drake snapped when Diana finally read her.

"She's a three bar" Diana stepped back to be behind Caine once again. She listened as the girl explained her story, and she watched as Caine charmed her into him. She remembered that old charm, the charm that had made Diana fall fast and hard for him.

She missed that charm. Now he took it for granted that she would be with him. Or at least, she thought he assumed it was unconditional.

Truthfully it was, she didn't plan on leaving Caine, but then again- she wasn't sure how long she could stay. How long she would last in the hell.

If she left though, she would be dead. She would never leave Caine for Sam, which was the only alternative. She wouldn't be able to do it.

That was why she figured he didn't charm her like he use to, he didn't seduce her like he once did, he didn't play with her like he had since they met.

She missed it, she missed him. She missed her life.

_Where has it all gone?_

Looking at Caine manipulate Orsay, she felt panged. Diana listened to Orsay fall under him. "How did you figure out you were seeing people's dreams" Diana asked, watching Orsay carefully. At her answer, Diana blinked; she remembered her dream last night…

_He pinned her on the table, quickly removing her clothes, he didn't waste time. She bit his lip, tasted blood. He ripped her top open._

_She pulled his shirt off, sucking his neck. He ran a hand up her thigh as she pulled his jeans down and reached to pull his boxers down with them. He stopped her, "not on the table, make it last" he had said. She arched her back; he undid the clasps, Drake called._

Diana snapped out of her memory. The moment she had relived in her dream last night.

_Not on the table, make it last. _

Since that night in Perdido Beach, she had remembered his words every day. She wondered what they meant, what he meant by that.

"How are you at keeping secrets?" Diana asked, staring Orsay down. Caine stiffened; she could see it in his shoulders.

She didn't know why he was suddenly tense. It was a reasonable question, why would Caine be suddenly acutely aware Diana was asking it? Sure Diana didn't mean it reasonably, if Orsay saw her dreams, and if she told Caine…

Diana had a lot to hide. Sam, Jack, sex, her feelings, her decisions, her vulnerability.

"Interesting question, Diana" Caine said, making his face blank. She gave a quick excuse. He didn't buy it, she knew that, but he let it go and continued with no emotion on his face, even when Drake brought up cannibalism.

Diana shuddered, Caine didn't.

But then Drake slipped up, he stepped too far, and Caine lost it. Screaming, shaking, and then worn out. Drake was scared, as he always was of Caine, but he was also very aware of Caine's energy, of the psychotic mess the Darkness had made Caine into.

Caine watched them all. The fear was there, but it wasn't the same. Suddenly Caine had visible weaknesses. Diana saw them, knew them. Drake saw them and understood them, because he too had them.

Only Orsay was scared of Caine like she should be, like they all had once been.

Caine wove his way through the dining hall and out the door.

* * *

"Diana" a voice said. Diana turned around; behind her Liza Corcoran was waving her hand and smiling.

Diana frowned harshly, "what do you want?"

Liza stopped short in the hall, "I was just wondering where you are going."

"And that is your business because?"

"Well…er….I, I just wanted to talk."

"Look, Liza. I have more important things to do than chat, so find someone else to talk to." Diana turned back and began to make her way down the hall.

"Mike and Stephen, they crossed over" Liza said the only thing she could to get Diana's attention. She had sworn to Mike she wouldn't tell anyone, and let Caine figure it out for himself, but now she needed to do what Caine asked her to do, watch Diana, and Liza was willing to do all things necessary to follow orders. Caine was the only thing that kept Drake from killing her.

If Drake didn't with her, which he didn't, he had no more use for her. But Caine kept him in line, Liza was not about to cross Caine Soren.

"When?" Diana asked, not turning around.

"Yesterday. Stephen….well he has a thing for Taylor….and"

"Oh" Diana said, "well, this is new." Then she kept walking, all the way to her room to meet Caine.

"What comes next?" She said as she sat down next to him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, staring out the window.

"I mean tomorrow, what will happen? The next day, and the day after. What is going to happen, Caine?" He didn't answer, so she tried again. "Do you regret going to the darkness?" She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. It was a gesture, and he didn't seem to notice.

He turned to face her and whispered "It was my decision to go when I more than knew the consequences. So what if I was insane for three months, I am so much more…"

"So much more what?" she insisted, "powerful? Stronger?"

He didn't continue, but instead stood up and walked over to the window, "I never said thank you for taking care of me all that time."

"Yeah, well" she said shrugging, "I need someone to keep Drake in line."

He turned around and smiled, putting as much charm as he could muster into it, "That's a good reason."

She almost smiled at him, but she wasn't in the mood to play girlfriend. Not now, not when she was stricken between hating and loving Caine…herself.

"We will lay out the plan tomorrow" Caine said turning around again, "_I will win this time._" He said slower.

Diana remembered seeing those words before, she gulped and lay back on the bed.

* * *

Caine left minutes before Sam came.

By the time Caine finally got out of the chair by Diana's desk, she had gone to sleep. He stepped out the door around midnight, shutting it softly trying not to wake her curled up form.

Caine walked down the halls, his feet padding on the wood, carpet, and then the lawn as he walked back to his bungalow.

Sam watched him from the his hiding place in the woods. It had taken a while to get there, and he wasn't about to scarafice his whole plan by greeting Caine.

"Diana" Sam whispered when he reacher her window. He had been to Coate's once before, but never inside. He had seen Caine leave her room though, he had seen Caine kiss her forehead as she slet and then turn off the light. It was interesting to Sam, he rarely saw Caine so calm and...loving.

"What are you doing here!" She exclaimed, jumping out of bed. "Sam, you _can't_ be here."

"Will Caine be back tonight?"

She shook her head. "No, but you need to leave. He...he might come in later." She was lying through her teeth and Sam knew it. But if something happened- if Caine were in an emergency, or Drake....

He sat on her bed, looking at her.

"Astrid and I are in a fight. I need to talk" Had anyone else said those words she would have rolled her eyes and pushed them away with a rude comment. But she was glad Sam was here, glad he had made the next move, had showed that he wanted to maintain whatever secret relationship they had left.

So instead she smirked and crossed her legs and pulled her hair into a bun. "So, talk"


	16. My Secrets

By the time Sam finally left, the darkness was just beginning to ebb. Knowing she would be more tired if she slept and had to get up, Diana decided to wait out the day- stay awake until it was time to sleep again.

No matter how much Sam knew about her, he had no idea about Caine. He didn't know about Caine's plans, or Caine's absence. Yes, Diana betrayed Caine's trust by communicating with Sam, but she would never, never help Caine lose.

When it came down to it, she had tried to help Sam stay alive, but not to beat Caine. To put it simply: Diana would never set Caine up for failure. She would never tell Sam anything about Caine that would put her leader at a disadvantage.

But after Diana discovered that the seemingly perfect Astrid Ellison was beginning to slip- especially in her relationship with Sam, which happened to be where she got all of her power- Diana decided not to lose her own control.

There was one point where she didn't have to lean on Caine. She was always in his protection no matter what she did, and there was never the chance of falling out of his grace. She could stand on her own knowing he would protect her. She could do anything on her own. Diana was the queen bee of the school, the most popular girl. And when she met Caine, she hadn't changed her position, just gotten a partner. She got a boy worthy of her. A boy who thought he was in love with her. A boy she didn't want to be in love with.

When she first saw Caine, since that first instant, her whole world changed. Now the only thing in her life, the only person she ever thought about was Caine. And thinking now, she realized how much she really gained from him.

How much she used him, and yet he still held on.

But she didn't think that anymore. For the first time, in her whole life, she was worried that Caine didn't want her, need her, anymore.

She felt herself grabbing at strings, realized that one slip up would end with her at the bottom. Her world was falling apart. It was like an egg shell: The day the FAYZ began, that put a huge fucking whole in her life, in the shell, and since then everything began to fall apart in pieces, some bigger than others. And looking around at the remaining fragments, she finally saw how little of that shell was left, how huge the hole was.

Finally, after months, everything was really beginning to fall apart.

* * *

He was exactly like she had seen him so many times the past few months. Naked in bed, his limbs twisted in sheets. His voice was hoarse and yet he continued to shout, the same phrase. It was a phrase burned into her memory, something she heard him saying when she closed her eyes every night.

She opened the blinds, light poured into the wide room. He blinked and stared at her, somewhat surprised to see her.

She surprised herself. But right now she needed to talk to him, to get some answers. To understand how he felt, what he felt, what exactly was happening to him, to her. She had nowhere to go, nowhere to turn. She didn't know where she was, where her alliance fell. Was she with him, or with Sam? Neither. Sam is the one she trusted, Caine the one she loved, and yet she was on her own side, the one person she felt nothing for.

He sat up, she sat next to him. He said a lot in that moment. It was like he was really talking to her, like it used to be. And then a hit. One right after another. He knew about Jack.

She freaked. And to put the cherry on a fucking great week he said it, those three words.

She had heard him say it before, but she never really believed him. Only once, did she feel that he really cared for her. Before this, the FAYZ, he had felt this lust and longing for her companionship, and the adults left, the emotion to one of real care. He matured enough to begin to truly fall for her. And then, the first time they fucked, she knew he was madly in love with her. Really, truly.

Now, she didn't trust him again. She didn't trust him to really mean it when he said loved her. She didn't think he was telling the truth.

But then he kissed her and she had to resist the urge to screw his brains out right there. She could, and she wanted to. She wanted to do it all, but she didn't She didn't act. So instead she just kissed him back softly.

Caine wanted to laugh. How naïve she was being. He could see it, even her cold reserve, how unstrung she was.

He knew about Jack, and better yet- he knew about Sam.

'_I'm tired' _Diana had said last night, curled beneath her blanket.  
'_Was it hard when I was gone? Did you have anyone to talk to?_' Caine had asked, figuring the best way to get a confession. She didn't say anything, instead, she just opened her wide eyes and stared at him. For a second he thought she wanted to say something, to do something, but she didn't move. She just watched him unhappily.

'_Do you think I talk to you, O Great One? Really? Because I do tell you all my emotions and feelings, you know._' It was less creative than her usual jabs, she was upset about something. Caine knew it.

'_I _mean_, what did you do all day when everyone was working? Normally, I would be with you, but you must have found a replacement? Did you?_'

'_Paranoid much? Just because we were fri-…peers during school, and just because I am loyal to your side doesn't mean we are all chummy. I hung around like I would have, like I usually do._' She had snapped.

Caine stared at her. It was as if she was trying to push him away, to make him hate her. But why? So it would be easier when she publically betrayed him for his own brother?

'_We are not personal then? ...Nothing, personal? Well then, never mind.' _Caine had stood up then, and turned off the light. Diana turned in her bed to put her back to him. But as he left, he walked to the other side of the bed, pausing in front of her face.

'_Peers don't know when to hold their tongue_' He whispered, bending down and brushing his lips over her forehead. He had kissed her forehead only once before.

He remembered it well, groping her body on the kitchen counter.

'_Goodnight_' He had said, knowing she would ponder the previous words incessantly, and left. He didn't know Sam came in a few minutes later. But he did know, he knew that she was messing around with Sam. He wasn't surprised really. Hurt, yes, but surprised- no.

Caine had once been close to Diana, close enough to snog her mercilessly while covered in blood. He knew her room, and where each pillow was placed, where her journal was kept (when she had actually written in it, that is), and he knew that whatever had happened with her those few months- it hadn't been pretty.

Now she was sitting here, trying to get her bravado back, her previous power. She had a bit, knowing Caine loved her. Only he wasn't so stupid.

He might still love her, but now he knew the consequences of that. And Diana, suddenly, didn't come first, or even second.

He was going to play her, to make her into what she once was, into the girl he had fallen in love with. And to do that, he needed to use her secrets. He needed to play the games. The blackmail, the threats, the…treason….

Caine needed Diana, _his _Diana, and if all played right, he knew how to get her.

* * *

As Diana left him a few moments later, his plans were already in motion. It wasn't hard as he thought. When he had kissed her, and after those few seconds of cold reserve, when she had kissed him back- well he could feel it. There was something holding back.

It didn't take him long to guess what it was, she had been with Sam. He knew something was odd last night, out of place, if you will. He knew Sam had been with her after he left her room the previous night.

Sam had been here, at Coates, _with Diana._

Caine got out of bed and began to dress. He had told Diana that she had to bring him Jack. He was mad about Jack too, but that was nothing compared to his anger about Sam. After confronting her about the computer genius, she hadn't even the courtesy to come clean about all of it. Did she really hate him that much?

* * *

"If we go in with more guns," Drake was saying a few hours later, "well then maybe we can take control, but I still doubt it."

"We haven't nearly enough people, for starters. I doubt our amount of firepower will sway the outcome. We can't have more than we can carry." Diana said, crossing her legs in her chair.

"I did not ask you here for strategy" Caine snapped suddenly, making Diana and Drake almost jump in surprise. "I just wanted to tell you our plans for the next few days" Caine said, this time softer.

Drake growled, he was still upset with Caine over this whole freak out in the dining room.

Only Drake and Diana were in the room with Caine, his two right-hand men.

Outside, everyone else sat, waiting. While on the other side of the school, Liza Corcoran swept through Diana's room clumsily.

"Jesus, Liza" Penny, a girl in the middle school at Coates, said. She was watching the door while Liza searched. Caine had called her that morning, and asked her calmly to search Diana's room while he talked with her. It didn't even have to be implied that Caine didn't want Liza to mention this _to anyone. _

But Liza had brought along Penny, and had threatened her not to tell while asking for help. Though Caine told Liza he would not let Diana near her room, Liza did not want to feel the wrath of Diana Ladris when the girl came back to find someone searching through her things.

Liza pulled open a drawer. Inside were a pair of six pairs of jeans, some skinny some boot, and about ten other skirts and shorts. Man, did this girl have a lot of clothes. It was amazing to Liza that Diana never wore any of them. She mostly stuck to her uniform or some assortment of jeans and leather jackets.

Nothing important in the drawer.

She pulled open the next one: pajamas and sweats. Well, Diana had been wearing a lot of sweat pants lately.

Next drawer, a mix of virginal and sinful underwear and bras. Penny turned at that exact moment to look at Liza, and the young girl blushed at the assortment. Liza was tempted to roll her eyes annoyed, but she didn't. She was too depressed to use that much energy for such a fruitless gesture.

Nothing there either. She scoured under the bed, pulling out old boxes and such. The diary was where Caine had said it would be. _Underneath a floorboard below the bed._ The blue leather was worn in Liza's hand, and she could almost feel the book fall apart in her fingers.

Nothing important there either.

It wasn't until Liza finally sat up swiftly, knocking her head on the bed post as she did so, that she found something.

"Penny, _get Caine._" Liza whispered hotly.

"What, what is it?" Penny asked, running to see what Liza was staring at. Liza pushed her away. "Penny, _go._"

The girl ran.

* * *

The door flew open, Caine's eyes snapping to Penny. He didn't like her much, found her annoying. Albeit, she had been useful on more than one occasion. And now she was here, so blatantly interrupting him.

"Uhm" Penny said after a second, while all three people in the room stared her down. Finally, Diana spoke. Some harsh comment about interrupting and importance. Caine smiled softly to her, then looked at Penny again.

"Well I was walking down the third floor on the East wing, and I saw that some kid had thrown-"

"Penny" Caine said, standing up. He realized what she was trying to say. He also now knew Liza had employed someone else to do his dirty work, but he would deal with that later. Since Diana's room was the only one on the third floor of the East Wing still occupied, it didn't take him long to figure out what Penny was saying.

"That's all." Caine said, waving Drake's next comment off. "Get to work" he said, walking out of the small room.

Drake left wordlessly, getting as far away as possible, and much closer to his office.

Diana, on the other hand, left the room slowly, only pausing in the doorway, "where do you want Jack to meet you?"

The question took and eager Caine aback. "The plant" he said after a moment. And then: "And Diana, I need you to do something else. Divide up transportation and jobs to people while we are at the plant."

Though strange for him to ask that of her, it seemed reasonable enough, so Diana didn't push it. Instead, she walked down the hall, and into the kitchen.

Caine pushed pass Penny on his way to Diana's room. "What do you have?"

She was sitting on her knees, ankles on her butt, flipping through the pages of Diana's diary. "It is buried in under the floorboard." Liza said, pointing. "Where she keeps her diary, yeah there, but buried in the dirt underneath that."

"Shit" Caine breathed, as he fingered the box.

* * *

**ALERT**

**As the reviews have been lacking GREATLY these last two chapters, I am going to do that thing to get more input. Please, at LEAST 5 reviews before a new chapter. that isn't much. so please do it. If you don't, I wil probably write one anyways, but I won't do it for a good few months because I don't want to waste my time with something that no one reads/enjoys/has insight on. **

**THANKS! **

**-Lollipop**


	17. His Truth, Her Trust

**5 reviews came quickly, so I feel obliged to update. sorry about this chapter though, i really dislike it. probably my least favorite.**

**i kind of like this 5 review thing. i think i am going to continue it. it makes me work harder. SO REVIEW **

* * *

Caine grinned at her, smiling so broadly it made Liza shudder. She looked down at the box. There were two packaged sticks, which meant (according to the words on the box): one was missing.

Then Liza looked past Caine, down into the hole under Diana's bed. There were nine other boxes of the same thing, but different brands. Deeper, below that, was another box. This time, a cardboard one, unopened. Liza didn't need to look inside it to recognize what it was. She had seen the commercial one too many times, and the name on the box was obvious enough. Apparently to Caine too. Because he neglected ripping open the package.

"Shit" Caine said again.

"What?" Penny jumped behind him to look over his shoulder. In one swift motion, he threw her out the door, slamming it in her wake.

He turned to Liza, who was immediately petrified on the floor.

"Do you know anything about this?"

She denied it quickly.

"You and Diana are…girls" he said, slowly now, as if thinking it over.

Liza shook her head again. Caine tried to control his breath, taking great gasps and slightly shuddering. No wonder Diana had been blocking him out for so longer. No wonder she was so cold.

After the initial shock wore off, the hate kicked in. It kicked in hard.

Hate, despise, anguish, depression, loathing, and it all.

It hurt. It hurt a lot.

"Get out" he said to Liza, only to realize she had left. She was smart, he had to admit it. Had she stayed a moment longer, if he hadn't remembered to warn her away, she would be dead.

In two seconds it tore apart. The room was spinning. Papers, furniture, pictures, clothes, all of it were flying through the air in a disordered mess of direction, everything going different ways.

His hair swept over his shoulders, framing his face in a ring of fire, licking his cheeks and neck, his eyes were alight with passion, his limbs strong and dignified. He looked almost…angelic.

Diana felt it, before the scream. Whenever Caine used a huge amount of power she would know. And even though throwing Penny out the door hardly required an ounce of power, he had used a lot of it to concentrate on not killing her, on keeping his control. He wanted her away, not dead.

Diana didn't know what was happening, but as she felt Caine use power to control his fury, she knew something was wrong. She recognized Penny's cry as the girl hit something. Diana ran, fast.

"What is going on" she screamed at a kid as he ran by, away from the banging in the east wing. Diana ran up the stairs, taking them two or three at a time.

"Caine!" She yelled, stepping up the stairs. He was out of room now, walking down the hallway, well more like gliding down the hallway. She could see at least four rooms destroyed now, including hers. She gasped, had he been in her room?

"Caine!" She screamed again, running towards him. "Caine, stop this. Calm down" she said stopping short before him. He wasn't facing her, so he didn't notice as she ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Caine, please."

His neck was stiff against her; he didn't feel her on him at all. He was gone; she could see it in his eyes as she faced him. He had gone crazy. He was gone again.

"Caine" she whispered against his chest, tears beginning to form in her eyes, surprising even her. "Caine, please, come back. Please, wake up. Please."

It took a moment, but eventually he breathed. He breathed for the first time in minutes. His body fell to the ground in a heap. Diana cradling his shoulders in her arms, rocking back and forth. "Please, please, please" she said softly, whispering into his hair, feeling the heat of her breath repelling from his skull back onto her mouth, she was that close.

"Please" she said for the last time before she broke down.

Diana made no noise when she cried. But feeling her tears against him was enough to bring Caine out of his head fully. The last thing he remembered was finding the pregnancy tests and birth control in her room, and then being mad. _So mad._

But now he was here, on the floor, weak and tired. He could hear the voice in his head. He could hear the talking, the demands. The orders. But he could also hear her, begging him.

And then she was crying, sobbing. And he felt it. A tear fell from her eye and ran onto his cheek and across his horizontal face. He was shrouded over him, holding him, crying.

The shock came first, again. And again: the anger next, the remembrance of what had happened before, and finally the calm. No matter how much he hated her right now, she was crying. And for Diana, that was the first.

He had seen her cry before once, but not really. Not like this. Not the shaking of her shoulders so violently.

He had to confront her, to talk to her. To maybe even send her away (killing wasn't an option). But now he would let her rest. Let her rest until they could both think clearly.

He slipped out from her easily, as she wasn't holding him anymore, and stood above her. "Diana" he said unsurely. She didn't move at all out of the ordinary. No motion to show she had heard him.

"What have you done?" He asked softly, slipping his arms underneath her crumpled form. He carried her away, into an empty bedroom at the end of the hall. The bed was dusty, but he lay her down on it anyways. He was so mad and so furious; it was all he could do to not hurt her. But she was crying, crying so hard, and she clung to his shirt as he moved her, holding on.

Caine did what he could do, all he could manage before he lost control again. He pulled off her sweater vest and collared shirt in a difficult motion. Her arms were caught above her head for a second, but she didn't seem to notice.

He didn't even notice that she wasn't wearing a bra and he pulled off her skirt and underwear. He went to her room, found her pajamas and slipped them on her. Coughing as the filth on the bed, dust and grime, flew around him as he slipped the blanket down and over her.

He hoped Diana would fall asleep soon, as he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep at all that night.

Knowing he wouldn't last a minute more in her presence, he slipped out. Shutting the blinds as he did so, in hopes of hiding the mid-day sun.

On his way out, he didn't notice Drake standing in the hall, his whip uncoiled.

* * *

He came early the next morning, waking her up in a huff.

Caine was in a rage, worse than usual. He had gotten over the Jack thing, recovered quickly- but the Sam thing, that was too much, now with what he found in her room. He had calmed himself down enough to offer Diana amnesty for Jack, but everything else...Caine didn't know what to do.

Diana didn't hear him storming down the hall. She didn't hear him open her door and come in; she didn't even notice him until he had thrown her out of bed.

Yesterday's events came crashing down on her. She felt her cheek, dry. But the pillow was wet, and her nose was stuffy. Had she been crying?

Caine's hair flew into his eyes as he spoke, sending shivers down Diana's spine.

"Remember yesterday, yesterday when I told you I was in love with you? You think I ever meant it before? Well I didn't, but now I do! Now I do, and you, you little bitch, go parading around with Jack, and with my brother! I don't even know what to say about the sex. Christ! And then you don't even tell me about it! What the hell, Diana? You thought you could keep that from me?"

His chest heaved under his shirt he had obviously just slipped on. Diana could tell because the hairs long enough to reach his shoulders were still tucked back under his collar.

Caine was weak, his face red from fury.

Diana had seen this coming. Caine confronted her about Jack; it was plausible he also knew about Sam. But it had never dawned on her that he would have her room searched. Yeah, she knew he had Liza Corcoran following her, he had even confirmed that himself. But she had never even thought he would have Liza search her room. She didn't think. She hadn't thought it out. And, on top of that, she hadn't even begun to think of an excuse, she had thought she had more time. Caine usually chose his moments, cashed in his debts when needed to. Not now, in the pre-dawn day. Not when she was vulnerable and he ruled her anyways. Not when he had seen her crying. No, a sane Caine would wait for the perfect timing. The moment Diana thought she was on top of the world, and then he would bring her back down.

But now, she was already in the dirt. Where else could she go? She had to come clean. She should have in the first place. She was stupid, she was being stupid.

"Excuse me?" Diana said instead, reaching around to switch on the lamp by the bed. Right now Caine was not much more than a faded shadow.

"Sam! What are you doing with Sam?"

Not only did she not want to, but she couldn't. She couldn't play stupid anymore, couldn't lie. If Caine was suspicious of anything, she would be dead.

"I needed help; I needed Sam to get something for me." She said, throwing her legs over the side of the bed. She clenched her fists, hard enough to draw blood from her nails digging into her palms.

He searched her eyes. Was it possible she was telling the truth? She hadn't been…involved…with Sam?

"Need I ask what?" he said, calming down a bit, well, managing to keep his voice down. Diana wouldn't have been surprised if the whole building was awake now. Lucky Drake wasn't here, he would have peed himself with excitement

"You really want to know, Caine? You think I _want _to be that desperate, to go to Sam? Had you been around I would have gone to you, but no- you were lost in your own fucking head for three months! While _I,_ not Drake or anyone else, _me_, I took care of you!" Diana had overstepped. She knew it the moment the words left her mouth.

Caine's hands began to twitch, it was evident he spent most of his energy keeping them still. Trying not to kill her, not yet at least.

"While Sam took care of you" he spat hotly and softly.

Diana stood up slowly, not looking him in the eye. Instead she averted her gaze to the corner of her room, watching small dust particles in the light. Only once had she been so scared of Caine, only once was his anger directed solely on her. And that hadn't even begun to compare to now.

"Caine" she said slowly, before he was forced to speak in the growing silence. "I-I didn't mean…." She stopped herself and reached a hand out to touch his arm, but she put it down before she had reached him. "…I'm sorry...Sam. You found the tests, didn't you? Well, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. I could have told you. But Sam. We didn't, I would never-"

Caine didn't speak. He didn't even blink. Diana also stood still, waiting for him to make the move. She only hoped that move wouldn't involve any physical pain on her behalf.

After what seemed like forever, Diana moved her gaze towards him. She let her eyes rest on his bare feet, but she slowly moved up to meet his own eyes. His look was clouded, trying hard to resist hurting her as would happen if he let the rage out.

"I wouldn't have gone to him, Caine" she said softly, gazing into his eyes, "unless I really had to."

They had kissed yesterday, her and Caine. He had kissed her, and she had kissed him back. It was the first of any sort of intimate contact since he had become lucid. Diana had stopped it there, before old memories came crashing down on her.

They had anyways; she had dreams that turned into nightmares all night long, twisting forcefully in the bed he had dumped her in.

"There was no other way…" She held her breath.

"Why? If you weren't fucking Sam then what, Diana? You expect me to believe all that is for something else? Expect me to believe you've had it before the FAYZ? That you and Sam are only…" he said finally, through clenched teeth.

Diana didn't answer at first, she wasn't sure how. But there wasn't much leeway. The choice of telling Caine or dying wasn't a difficult one. "I needed Sam to get me a test. I couldn't go, not with Drake here…and Sam is a good man, no matter how bad it is, he will always do what he considers the 'right thing'. I trust him…" she trailed off

"A pr-pregnancy test" Caine spat after a few seconds of pause. "So Sam is your little delivery boy now? That's what you expect me to believe." His face was beginning to turn even redder, "Diana!" He bellowed, losing control again. He stepped forward and grabbed her by her collar, pulling her face inches from his. There was menace in his voice when he spoke: "what did you do?"

Diana broke their eye contact and stepped to the side, turning to walk to the other side of the bed. She ran her hands through her looking to the side of his face. "Me? You want an honest answer, Caine? Well here it is: I did you."

He didn't catch on. How could he?

"Caine! You, me- we did it. Do you remember any of it: the flirtation before the FAYZ? The stolen kisses in town? The sex on the desk in your office? "

He threw her down, and she fell back on the floor, bruising her back.

"I remember, _Diana_, but how fucking stupid do you think I am? We never, _never_ did that!"

"We did" she said, "before you left, we-" he cut her off.

"What. The . Hell." His nostrils flared. She had seen it coming.

"Caine" Diana said quickly, putting a hand out as if to stop him, but she was too far away to touch him.

Caine didn't have to touch though, when his hands flew out, Diana went with them, flying into the wall. Not hard enough to go through, but hard enough give her another large bruise.

"You and who? Drake? Or what, Jack, your new buddy? Oh, don't you dare say Sam." Caine snapped, spit flying from his mouth.

Diana didn't answer, but moaned, putting her hand to her head. She slid down the wall into a sitting position.

Caine clenched his fists before stretching out his hands and walking over to her and grabbing his semi-girlfriend by her pajama collar, again.

"It's obviously not Drake, and to think you would lower your standards to the small Superman…that leaves my brother!" He stared at her for a moment, then threw her down and turned his back. "_You whore_"he spat, kicking her bed hard enough to break his toe. Luckily, he didn't, and the pain was easy to ignore.

Diana lost it, she couldn't fight him, and he was so close to hurting her more, actually killing her. But she had to correct him, fast. If Caine seriously thought that she and Sam would ever…well to put it simply: she had fucked up, and now she was dead meat.

"Caine!" Diana snapped, not in a harsh way, but to get his complete attention.

"You, Caine. Jesus! It was you. _You _were the one who gave me the scare, _you _were the only one I would ever consider…It was _you_, every time! _You_ were the one I came on to; _you_ were the one who I did everything with. _It was always you_. "

"Stop, Diana. Just stop." He said suddenly calm, moving toward the door.

Diana stood up and stepped toward him. "We did, Caine, we did. Seven times, over and over until we couldn't move. You think I would risk lying to you about this, about anything? I remember it, all of it. The way you liked to be touched on the nape of your neck, like this." She brushed her fingers softly over the spot and she could feel the small, ever so slight hitch in his breath.

"Don't believe me" she pulled off her top and handed him the shirt. "There is blood on the collar from where my shoulders touched the cloth when I first got dressed, when you scratched my shoulder off as you came that first time. I never washed my clothes; they don't have dry-cleaning for silk here."

Caine rubbed his fingers over the spot and Diana turned around to show him her shoulder. Sure enough, and array of small scars were beginning to fade on her skin.

"But then you left, to go see Pack Leader or whatever. Like I said, you came back a mess. Nothing happened until a month later, when you had a brief few minutes of lucidity. All you remembered though was the deal we made before you left the first time. Well then we did it again, for the few minutes you weren't completely out of your mind. We did it, and then I was late. I needed a test, went to Sam. He was good about it, like Sam is."

Caine stayed quiet. The possibility that Diana was making this all up was high. Her evidence could be considered complete bull, but for some reason Caine believed her. The idea daunted him though, that he had had sex with Diana.

_Seven times, maybe not counting that last one._

Caine didn't know how to feel. He was happy almost, proud of himself for finally nailing Diana. It must have been great, he thought. But then he was so mad, mad he didn't remember it, that Sam knew, all of it.

He was mad that Diana didn't tell him.

"So" he said after a few minutes of silence.

"Well, as you can tell, I'm not pregnant." Diana said softly evaluating the situation before smirking. Caine was losing his anger at an amazingly fast rate.

At least that is what Diana thought. For claiming to be Caine's girl, she hardly knew anything about him. He was mad, furious even, still. Even though he was pretty sure she was telling the truth. But there was more. Sam had been here the other night, there was that. And like Caine had first tried, he was going to keep this bit of knowledge away until later, until he could use it on Diana.

Except now he had a better plan. Before he had wanted Diana back, _his _Diana. But now he seemed to finally realize how impossible that was. His Diana was gone, had slowly disappeared with the adults. Maybe to never come back.

Or maybe not, maybe she would. But now he needed to move on. He couldn't be biased; they had all changed a lot. Not always for the better.

And he loved this new Diana, he really did. And now that it was there, he was going to accept it: "And this deal you mentioned?"

But she tossed off the idea. Good. A challenge.

He was going to fuck Diana one of these days, and if it worked he might be able to get her to say those three little words. The words she never dared speak.

"One deal at a time, you want Jack don't you?" She said, pulling her top back on and wrapping a robe around herself. The sun was rising.

Caine thought this over, getting some of bravado charm back into his voice as he spoke. "I need him, by today." Caine said, grabbing Diana by the waist, "but is the deal seriously off?"

"Yes, I broke it a while ago-"

"Caine" Bug called out. Caine swore and stood for a second before turning around and opening the door. Bug called again.

On the front steps of Coates, with her eyes bugging out and unblinking, sat Orsay.


End file.
